No year is ever perfect, but 1969 deserves commendation as a relatively groovy year, particularly thanks to the Woodstock music festival and the recording and release of “Abbey Road” by The Beatles. No matter the majesty of those moments and many others, nothing will top the significance of the Apollo 11 lunar landing that occurred on July 20 of that year. That moment is receiving its Golden Jubilee via the United States Postal Service (USPS), which on Wednesday unveiled the art for two stamps that will commemorate what astronaut Neil Armstrong dubbed “one small step for man” and “one giant leap for mankind.”
Have you seen these new @USPS stamp designs? To celebrate our #Apollo50th Moon landing, a landmark in lunar exploration that transformed our understanding of our Moon and solar system, these new designs pay homage to our historic milestone. Take a look: https://t.co/e3mznCKyub pic.twitter.com/9MlCAXpmn5
— NASA (@NASA) March 21, 2019
Space matters are perfect topics to geek out on, so we can say that we had been wondering when the USPS would release what will definitely be collector’s items. While the public does not yet know the release date and the details surrounding the First Day of Issue ceremony, it can at least join us in being super excited over the artwork’s polished look and root for the designs to take off when they reach the masses. We find ourselves ultra curious about the scope and grandeur of the impending stamps, especially since the initial stamp honoring the Armstrong-Buzz Aldrin-Michael Collins crew has acquired such robust standing among philatelists (we love showing off that word!).
2019 has yielded some interesting news with respect to the future of the USPS, and while the creation and marketing of stamps will not solve the agency’s woes, especially since said products have not always won favor, the announcement of the Apollo 11 commemoratives should provide a sales uptick, especially when the summer anniversary occurs. We would have to be from another planet not to appreciate the sense of gratitude that surrounds these stamps, as what the astronauts accomplished for the evolution of NASA should receive as much printed products recognition as possible. We wonder, therefore, if the USPS will have peers this year in praising the Apollo 11 feat. Might there be a packaging company that likewise commemorate the mission? Could another print-centric entity devise a way to celebrate their accomplishments, too?
Much like our curiosity about the stamps, we don’t want the pining for answers to take up too much “space” in our brains.
