42 years ago, on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to step foot on another heavenly body.

Armstrong emerged from the spacecraft first. While descending, he released the Modularized Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA) on which the surface television camera was stowed, and the camera recorded humankind’s first step on the Moon at 109:24:19 GET.

The astronauts carried out a planned sequence of activities that included deployment of a Solar Wind Composition experiment, a Laser-Ranging Retroreflector and a Passive Seismic Experiment Package; also collecting samples of lunar material and photographing terrain. While Armstrong and Aldrin completed their tasks on the lunar surface, command module pilot Michael Collins kept vigil in the Columbia module orbiting above.

The three reunited and landed safely in the Pacific Ocean four days later.

For more info: www.nasa.gov/apollo

Cover flown to the moon with Apollo 11.

DL stationery envelopes designed by me for the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11

My private FDC (self adhesive printed cachet) for Apollo 11 designed stamps (2009) see http://alecbartos.com/?p=123

ifsda Magazine – February 2011

The following editorial from the January February 2011 issue of the Collectors Club (New York) Philatelist is especially important news for members receiving registered mail from foreign destinations in the USA, or to those sending registered mail to the USA.

Warning to all who might receive registered mail from overseas: Inquiries by overseas senders regarding missing registered mail have discovered a disturbing problem.

Since June 2009, all registered mail arriving in the U.S. from overseas is treated by the U.S. Postal Service as ordinary mail from its original arrival at the U.S. exchange office, and is not given the usual processing that is expected from registered mail.

A post inspector has commented that any such registered mail items can be considered the same as having a “Steal Me” label on them. The applicable regulation, taken from the USPS International Mail Manual, says: 752.13 Treatment of Registered Items – All registered mail by the country origin must be handled domestic First-Class mail stream from the exchange office to the office of delivery. A signed delivery recipient must be obtained at the time of delivery.
The second sentence show that simply because the recipient has to sign on delivery does not mean that the mail was given the secure handling expected of registered mail.
“Traveling in the domestic First Class Mail mailstream” means that the letter or package will be sent along with all other ordinary first class mail. Registered mail within the U.S. remains the same secure process as before, as does registered mail send to overseas addresses. The danger is restricted to arriving mail. The best alternative is to use either Express Mail or Courier Services. Be warned, and tell your overseas correspondents.
(Source: Editorial by Robert P. Odenweller, The Collectors Club Philatelist, Jan. – Feb. 2011)

http://www.ifsda.org/ifsda2011.pdf

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30 Photos

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Comments and suggestions are always welcomed.

Cachet: In French, cachet means a stamp or a seal. On a cover, the cachet is an added design or text, often corresponding to the design of the postage stamp, the mailed journey of the cover, or some type of special event. Cachets appear on modern first-day covers, first-flight covers and special-event covers.