Topzle Topzle

Apollo 15 postal covers incident

Updated: Wikipedia source

Apollo 15 postal covers incident

In June 1972, a scandal involving the crew of NASA's Apollo 15 became publicly known. The crew—David Scott, Alfred Worden, and James Irwin—had carried about 400 unauthorized postal covers (stamped and postmarked envelopes) into space and to the Moon's surface on the Lunar Module Falcon. Some of the envelopes were sold at high prices by West German stamp dealer Hermann Sieger, and are known as "Sieger covers". Scott, Worden, and Irwin all agreed to take payments for carrying the covers. Although they returned the money, they were reprimanded by NASA. Amid much press coverage of the incident, the astronauts were called before a closed session of a Senate committee and never flew in space again. The three astronauts and an acquaintance, Horst Eiermann, had agreed to have the covers made and taken into space. Each astronaut was to receive about US$7,000 (equivalent to $52,620 in 2024). Scott arranged to have the covers postmarked on the morning of the Apollo 15 launch on July 26, 1971. They were packaged for space and brought to him as he prepared for liftoff; he brought them aboard in a pocket of his space suit. They were not included on the list of the personal items he was taking into space. The covers spent July 30 to August 2 on the Moon inside Falcon. On August 7, the date of splashdown, the covers were postmarked again on the recovery carrier USS Okinawa. One hundred were sent to Eiermann (and passed on to Sieger); the remaining covers were divided among the astronauts. Worden had agreed to carry 144 additional covers, largely for an acquaintance, F. Herrick Herrick; these had been approved for travel to space. Apollo 15 carried a total of about 641 covers. In late 1971, when NASA learned that the Herrick covers were being sold, the astronauts' supervisor, Deke Slayton, warned Worden to avoid further commercialization of what he had been allowed to take into space. After Slayton heard of the Sieger arrangement, he removed the three as backup crew members for Apollo 17, though the astronauts had by then returned compensation from Sieger. The Sieger matter became generally known in the newspapers in June 1972. There was widespread coverage, with the astronauts portrayed negatively for their actions. By 1977, all three former astronauts had left NASA. In February 1983, Worden sued, alleging the government's 1972 seizure of 298 of the envelopes without a hearing had violated the Constitution. The Department of Justice concluded it had no grounds for fighting the suit, and the government returned all the covers in an out-of-court settlement that July. In 2014, one of the postal covers given to Sieger sold for over $50,000 (equivalent to $66,000 in 2024).

Tables

· Summary of covers
Scott
Scott
Carried by
Scott
Total produced and approval status
100 (unauthorized)
Cachet
Mission logo
Cancellation
7/26/1971 at KSC; 8/7/1971 USS Okinawa
Notes
"Sieger covers": Notarized, handwritten statement in upper left. Carried to lunar surface.
Scott
Scott
Carried by
Scott
Total produced and approval status
298 (unauthorized)
Cachet
Mission logo
Cancellation
7/26/1971 at KSC; 8/7/1971 USS Okinawa
Notes
Not notarized, printed endorsement in upper left. Carried to lunar surface.
Worden
Worden
Carried by
Worden
Total produced and approval status
144 (authorized)
Cachet
"Phases of the Moon"
Cancellation
8/7/1971 USS Okinawa
Notes
"Herrick covers": Carried in command module.
Worden
Worden
Carried by
Worden
Total produced and approval status
1 (authorized)
Cachet
"First Flight"
Cancellation
12/17/1928 Jackson, MI
Notes
Carried in command module. Autographed by Orville Wright.
Irwin
Irwin
Carried by
Irwin
Total produced and approval status
87 (authorized)
Cachet
Apollo 12
Cancellation
12/10/1969 Houston, TX
Notes
Carried in command module. Signed by Apollo 12 astronauts.
Irwin
Irwin
Carried by
Irwin
Total produced and approval status
8 (authorized)
Cachet
Shamrock and lunar rover
Cancellation
various, most 9/29/1971 at KSC
Notes
Carried in command module.
Irwin
Irwin
Carried by
Irwin
Total produced and approval status
1 (authorized)
Cachet
"Flown to the Moon"
Cancellation
Not canceled
Notes
Carried in command module.
NASA
NASA
Carried by
NASA
Total produced and approval status
1 (authorized)
Cancellation
8/2/1971 on lunar surface
Notes
USPS cover: Carried in lunar module. Now in National Postal Museum.
NASA
NASA
Carried by
NASA
Total produced and approval status
1 (authorized)
Cancellation
Not canceled
Notes
USPS backup cover: Carried in command module.
Carried by
Total produced and approval status
Cachet
Cancellation
Notes
Scott
100 (unauthorized)
Mission logo
7/26/1971 at KSC; 8/7/1971 USS Okinawa
"Sieger covers": Notarized, handwritten statement in upper left. Carried to lunar surface.
Scott
298 (unauthorized)
Mission logo
7/26/1971 at KSC; 8/7/1971 USS Okinawa
Not notarized, printed endorsement in upper left. Carried to lunar surface.
Worden
144 (authorized)
"Phases of the Moon"
8/7/1971 USS Okinawa
"Herrick covers": Carried in command module.
Worden
1 (authorized)
"First Flight"
12/17/1928 Jackson, MI
Carried in command module. Autographed by Orville Wright.
Irwin
87 (authorized)
Apollo 12
12/10/1969 Houston, TX
Carried in command module. Signed by Apollo 12 astronauts.
Irwin
8 (authorized)
Shamrock and lunar rover
various, most 9/29/1971 at KSC
Carried in command module.
Irwin
1 (authorized)
"Flown to the Moon"
Not canceled
Carried in command module.
NASA
1 (authorized)
8/2/1971 on lunar surface
USPS cover: Carried in lunar module. Now in National Postal Museum.
NASA
1 (authorized)
Not canceled
USPS backup cover: Carried in command module.

References

  1. An office whose duties included aiding astronauts in the time leading up to their spaceflights
  2. Die proofs perforated by hand were used rather than actual stamps.
  3. Scott catalog numbers 1434–1435.
  4. Rathmann owned a Cocoa Beach car dealership, and was friendly with many astronauts, for whom he got discount prices on G
  5. The postmark applied on the Moon read UNITED STATES ON THE MOON; the backup read MOON LANDING, U.S.A. See Winick, pp. 87
  6. Scott catalog number C76.
  7. Faries noted that in 1983, 61 Herrick envelopes were returned by NASA to Worden, rather than the expected 60, but the 61
  8. On May 23, 1972, NASA issued a press release announcing that Irwin planned to retire, and based on that, a new backup cr
    https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/83124main_1972.pdf
  9. Scott testified at the August 3, 1972, hearing that two covers had gone astray from the expected number, but stated that
  10. Faries noted that in 1983, 61 Herrick envelopes were returned by NASA to Worden, rather than the expected 60, but the 61
  11. Link to the version of this article as of the date of publication in Slate
    https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Apollo_15_postal_covers_incident&oldid=582882853
  12. "Astrophilately"
    http://www.philatelicdatabase.com/united-states/astrophilately/
  13. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, pp. 7–8.
  14. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, p. 5.
  15. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, pp. 6–7.
  16. How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda
    https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44525121.pdf
  17. The Washington Post
  18. Scott & Leonov 2004, pp. 328–330, 5414–5418.
  19. "Apollo Flown Covers"
    http://www.spaceflownartifacts.com/flown_apollo_covers.html
  20. "The Flown Apollo 11 Covers"
    http://www.spaceflownartifacts.com/flown_apollo11_covers.html
  21. "Neil Armstrong collection commands $5.2 million at auction"
    http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-110518a-neil-armstrong-auction-results.html
  22. "Apollo 15"
    https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo15.html
  23. "Moon mail"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20180801051559/https://postalmuseum.si.edu/stampstakeflight/moonmail.html
  24. Ramkissoon, p. 215.
  25. The Washington Post
  26. Winick, p. 73.
  27. "The Flown Apollo 15 Sieger Covers"
    http://www.spaceflownartifacts.com/flown_apollo15_covers.html
  28. August 3, 1972 hearing, pp. 3–4.
  29. August 3, 1972 hearing, pp. 88–89.
  30. Scott & Leonov 2004, pp. 328–330, 5425.
  31. Worden 2011, pp. 149–150, 2679–2674.
  32. August 3, 1972 hearing, p. 49.
  33. August 3, 1972 hearing, p. 82.
  34. "Apollo Insurance Covers"
    http://www.spaceflownartifacts.com/flown_apollo_insurance_covers.html
  35. Worden 2011, pp. 149–150, 2684–2688.
  36. The Guardian
    https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/260595823/
  37. August 3, 1972 hearing, pp. 49–50.
  38. Irwin, p. 228.
  39. Winick, p. 77.
  40. Winick, p. 81.
  41. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, p. 17.
  42. Worden 2011, p. 148, 2648–2670.
  43. August 3, 1972 hearing, pp. 133–134.
  44. Ulman, p. 284.
  45. Scott & Leonov 2004, pp. 328–330, 5418–5421.
  46. Tucson Daily Citizen
  47. The Washington Post
  48. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, p. 3.
  49. August 3, 1972 hearing, pp. 20–21.
  50. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, p. 7.
  51. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1972/09/19/archives/apollo-15-stamps-sale-linked-to-nasa-and-exhughes-aides.html
  52. Chronology of 144 Authorized Covers, p. 1.
  53. August 3, 1972 hearing, p. 14.
  54. Worden 2011, p. 148, 2671–2679.
  55. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, pp. 17–18.
  56. Ramkissoon, p. 212.
  57. Winick, p. 85.
  58. AAMS, p. 209.
  59. Worden 2011, p. 149, 2671–2679.
  60. Winick, pp. 80–81.
  61. August 3, 1972 hearing, p. 26.
  62. Winick, p. 87.
  63. August 3, 1972 hearing, pp. 14–16.
  64. August 3, 1972 hearing, p. 59.
  65. Chicago Sun-Times
  66. August 3, 1972 hearing, p. 50.
  67. Winick, p. 75.
  68. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, pp. 1, 7–9.
  69. August 3, 1972 hearing, p. 46.
  70. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, pp. 8–9.
  71. August 3, 1972 hearing, p. 109.
  72. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, pp. 1, 7–8.
  73. "Apollo 15 Mission Overview"
    https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_15/overview/
  74. Faries, p. 30.
  75. August 3, 1972 hearing, pp. 107–109.
  76. Worden 2011, pp. 150–151, 2697–2715.
  77. August 3, 1972 hearing, p. 35.
  78. August 3, 1972 hearing, p. 76.
  79. Chronology of 400 Unauthorized Covers, p. 2.
  80. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, pp. 9–10.
  81. The Washington Sunday Star
  82. Winick, p. 76.
  83. Worden 2011, p. 150, 4053–4075.
  84. Ramkissoon, pp. 212–213.
  85. Irwin, p. 116.
  86. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, pp. 10–11.
  87. August 3, 1972 hearing, p. 147.
  88. Faries, p. 28.
  89. Winick, pp. 77–78.
  90. Fletcher August 2, 1972 letter, pp. 1–2.
  91. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, pp. 15–16.
  92. Worden 2011, p. 148, 4321–4340.
  93. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, pp. 19–20.
  94. Chronology of 144 Authorized Covers, pp. 2–3.
  95. Worden 2011, p. 245, 4338.
  96. Fletcher July 27, 1972 letter, p. 20.
  97. August 3, 1972 hearing, pp. 53–54, 98–100.
  98. Irwin, pp. 228–229.
  99. August 3, 1972 hearing, pp. 55–57.
  100. Worden 2011, p. 245, 4345.
  101. Faries, p. 29.
  102. Management chronology, p. 1.
  103. August 3, 1972 hearing, p. 63.
  104. Slayton 1994, pp. 278–279, 5171–5180.
  105. Chaikin, p. 497.
  106. August 3, 1972 hearing, pp. 9, 24–25, 63–64, 73–74.
  107. "Apollo 15 Stamps"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20170225161721/https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/83124main_1972.pdf
  108. George M. Low personal files, Addendum to Personal Notes No. 74, July 18, 1972, Archives and Special Collections, Folsom
  109. Management chronology, p. 2.
  110. Today
  111. Lewis, p. 274.
  112. Kraft, p. 343.
  113. Scott & Leonov 2004, p. 329, 5434.
  114. Scott & Leonov 2004, p. 331, 5454.
  115. Worden 2011, pp. 246–249, 4429–4464.
  116. Worden & French 2021, pp. 412–413.
  117. Irwin, p. 235.
  118. Jurek, pp. 185–186.
  119. The New York Times
  120. Worden 2011, pp. 252–253, 4456–4473.
  121. Jurek, p. 185.
  122. Worden 2011, pp. 254–255, 4496–4531.
  123. The New York Times
  124. Kraft, p. 345.
  125. The Houston Press
    http://www.houstonpress.com/news/apollo-15-40-years-on-five-odd-facts-including-faulty-peeing-a-very-irked-nasa-and-the-coolest-lunar-experiment-6729217
  126. Jurek, p. 184.
  127. Space.com
    https://www.space.com/20565-al-worden-apollo-15-astronaut.html
  128. "David R. Scott"
    http://www.nmspacemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.php?id=68
  129. The New York Times
    https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1991/08/10/412491.html?action=click&contentCollection=Archives&module=LedeAsset&region=ArchiveBody&pgtype=article&pageNumber=26
  130. "Deke Slayton 1972 Autograph Letter Signed to Wally Schirra"
    https://historical.ha.com/itm/explorers/deke-slayton-1972-autograph-letter-signed-to-wally-schirra-regarding-nasa-s-request-to-view-astronaut-ppk-lists-and-schirr/p/6206-17018.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515#auction-info
  131. Kraft, p. 344.
  132. Kraft, p. 144.
  133. "For Jack Swigert, on his 83rd birthday"
    https://www.americaspace.com/2014/08/29/for-jack-swigert-on-his-83rd-birthday/
  134. Chaikin, p. 551.
  135. 14 CFR 1214.602
    https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/section-1214.602
  136. Worden 2011, p. 269, 4770–4775.
  137. Faries, p. 31.
  138. Ulman, p. 285.
  139. The Washington Post
    https://web.archive.org/web/20170828074546/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1983/07/29/covers-returned-to-moon-astronauts/4a2752c9-3011-40e2-98d7-b24ddfa566df/
  140. Faries, pp. 31–32.
  141. Congress.gov
    https://www.congress.gov/bill/96th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/141
  142. Faries, pp. 27, 32.
  143. The New York Times
    https://web.archive.org/web/20220409040907/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/science/space/al-worden-dead.html
  144. Worden 2011, p. 271.
  145. "SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-8 PRESS KIT"
    https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/shuttle_pk/pk/Flight_008_STS-008_Press_Kit.pdf
  146. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/30/us/us-returns-stamps-to-former-astronauts.html
  147. "The Sculpture on the Moon"
    http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/12/sculpture_on_the_moon_paul_van_hoeydonck_s_fallen_astronaut.html
  148. Highlights from the upcoming Novaspace auction. January 26th, 2008. Arizona Challenger Space Center
    https://web.archive.org/web/20091003023153/http://www.novaspace.com/LIVEAUCTION/Auctionitems/Auctioncat.html
  149. "Auction Results"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20090912054406/http://www.novaspace.com/LIVEAUCTION/Auctionitems/Catalog.html
  150. "Item 477 – Apollo 15 Catalog 442"
    http://www.rrauction.com/past_auction_item.cfm?ID=3333030
Image
Source: —
Tip: Wheel or +/− to zoom, drag to pan, Esc to close.