On the 50th anniversary of the first man’s flight in Cosmos (Yuri Gagarin), on the 30th anniversary of the first Romanian’s flight in Cosmos (Dumitru Dorin Prunariu) and on the 50th anniversary of the first session of COPUOS (UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space), Romfilatelia introduces into circulation the postage stamps issue entitled COSMOS 2011.

On the postage stamp with the face value of lei 3.00 is reproduced the image of Dumitru Dorin Prunariu, the first Romanian cosmonaut.
Dumitru Dorin Prunariu was the first Romanian to ever take part in a space flight (Soyuz 40mission) within the Intercosmos Program, aboard Salyut 6 station (14th – 22nd of May 1961).

Together with the Russian cosmonaut Leonid Ivanovich Popov, Dumitru Dorin Prunariu performed several scientific experiments, among which, an important study on the terrestrial magnetic field.

On the postage stamp with the face value of lei 4.70 is reproduced the image of the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968).
In 1961, on the 12th of April, the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1 capsule was the first man to ever go on an orbital flight in the outer space.

50 years ago, it was held the first Session of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

The postage stamp of the souvenir sheet of the issue,with the face value of lei 8.70 reproduces the image of the Earth seen from the outer space, at which is added the explanatory text of the anniversary event: 50 years – the First COPUOS Session.
The Committee was established by the UN General Assembly in 1959 for the purpose of harmonising international cooperation in the field of the peaceful uses of outer space.
Romania is a founding member of this Committee and was registered with COPUOS since 1959.
As reward for the activity and involvement of Romania in this field, our country holds the COPUOS Presidency, for the period June 2010 – June 2012, the elected President being the Romanian cosmonaut Dumitru Dorin Prunariu.
From 9 to 12 May 2011, the International Academy of Astronautics holds in Bucharest the second Conference on protecting our planet from impacts by asteroids and comets, 2011 IAA Planetary Defense Conference – From Threat to Action.

For the documentary assistance and the images offered for the accomplishment of this postage stamps issue, we would like to thank the Romanian Space Agency, the first Romanian cosmonaut Mr. Dumitru Dorin Prunariu, the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bucharest, The Federal State Unitary Enterprise in the Russian Federation – The Publishing and Trading Centre MARKA and also to the family of the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

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