Recovery Force Ships6
| Ship2 | Type | Designation | Covers |
|
Atlantic |
|||
|
SRS - Coast Guard Cutter |
WMEC-622 |
Y |
|
|
SRS - Rescue & Salvage Ship |
ARS-8 |
Y |
|
|
Landing Craft |
SRS - Landing Craft |
LCU |
N |
|
Pacific |
|||
|
PRS - Carrier |
LPH-11 |
Y |
|
|
Tracking Ships |
|||
|
TS - Tracking Ship - stationed at 25 S 155 W in the Pacific |
T-AGM-19 |
Y |
|
|
TS - Tracking Ship |
T-AGM-20 |
Y |
|
|
Recovery Control Center |
|||
|
Atlantic Recovery Control Center |
N/A |
Y |
|
|
Pacific Recovery Control Center |
N/A |
Y |
|
|
Soviet Tracking Ships3 |
|||
|
TS - Tracking Ship off coast of Canada |
N/A |
Y |
|
|
TS - Tracking Ship off Honduras |
N/A |
Y |
|
|
Probably Not Involved |
|||
|
Anti-submarine Hunter-killer Destroyer |
DD113 |
Y |
|
|
Training Ship |
N/A |
Y |
|
|
Ship |
Description of Postmark |
Scarcity |
|---|---|---|
| USS New Orleans - San Francisco1 |
Machine Cancel - 24th Used in Hawaii |
Common |
| USS New Orleans1 | Hand Cancel - Wavy Killer Bars - 25th Used aboard PRS |
Scarce |
| USNS Vanguard8 | USPS 327 Jun 1975 Postmark | U/K |
| USNS Vanguard8 | Bauboa Canal Zone 15 Jul 1975 Postmark | U/K |
| USNS Vanguard8 | San Francisco Jul 24 1975 Postmark | U/K |
| USNS Vanguard8 | Norfolk Jul 24 1975 Postmark | U/K |
| USNS Redstone | Cape Canaveral Jul 15 1975 Postmark | U/K |
| USNS Redstone | Cape Canaveral Jul 24 1975 Postmark | U/K |
|
Cachet |
Description of Cachet |
Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navy Recovery Force Cachet - Atlantic |
Designed by Morris Beck it shows Apollo almost docked with Soyuz |
Blue, Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| Navy Recovery Force Cachet - Pacific |
Designed by Morris Beck it shows Apollo almost docked with Soyuz |
Blue, Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| Beck Cachet -Atlantic | Similar to but larger than Navy Cachet | Red-Yellow-Black | Printed |
| Beck Cachet - Pacific | Similar to but larger than Navy Cachet | Green-Red-Black | Printed |
| TF-130 Cachet | TF-130 Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force Atlantic shows various recovery aircraft & ships | Blue, Maroon, Black | Rubber Stamp |
|
Ship |
Known Cachet Colours |
Beck Numbers |
| USS New Orleans - San Francisco |
Blue | B898 |
| Norfolk | Maroon | B899 |
|
Cachet |
Description of Cachet |
Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kunia HI | An interesting series of Boudwin covers with greyscale mission emblems. Various dates exist including 17, 21 & 23 Jul | Greyscale | Printed |
| Norfolk VA | Mission Emblem with 5 astronaut names plus Helicopter and capsule with parachutes opened above water | Blue + Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| San Francisco | Mission Emblem plus Helicopter and capsule with parachutes opened above water | Green + Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| USS New Orleans4 | Unusual 'depart for Recovery Area' cover - postmarked 13 July 1975 plus ship's cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS New Orleans7 | Sean Masar cover postmarked 17 July which was the link-up date - actually aboard the PRS during linkup | Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| USS New Orleans | Sean Masar cover postmarked 21 July which was the date the two spacecraft undocked- actually aboard the PRS during undocking and recovery | Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Redstone | An interesting cover witha Captain L Couch corner card and a US Postal Service 327 postmark | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USNS Vanguard8 | Three covers with different USNS Vanguard cachets | Black | Rubber Stamp |
|
Postmark |
Description of Cover |
Postmark Date |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (USS New Orleans) |
Cover carried aboard the Apollo Soyuz (ASTP) Prime Recovery Ship, USS New Orleans and cancelled on its return to San Francisco on July 24, 1975. The cover is signed by Stuart A Bergman, Dr G Wycliffe Hoffler, Arnauld E Nicogossian, Joesph Baker and John Donaldson. These individuals were aboard the ship to conduct the Inflight Lower Limb Volume Measurement (ASTP007) experiment on the astronauts. | 24 Jul 1975 |
| US Postal Service | Helicopter Recovery Cover signed by Pilot and Crew of Helantisubron Six. Cover marked 24 July 1975 and note states it was flown aboard the helicopter | Late pmk |
| San Francisco (USS New Orleans) |
Helicopter Recovery Cover signed by Pilot and Crew of Helantisubron Six - flown aboard Main Recovery Helicopter | 24 Jul 1975 |
| San Francisco (USS New Orleans) |
Helicopter Recovery Cover signed by Pilot and Crew of Helantisubron Six - flown aboard Swim 1 Helicopter | 24 Jul 1975 |
| San Francisco (USS New Orleans) |
Helicopter Recovery Cover signed by Pilot and Crew of Helantisubron Six - flown aboard ELS Helicopter | 24 Jul 1975 |
| San Francisco (USS New Orleans) |
Set of 3 Helicopter Recovery Covers signed by Pilot and Crew of Helantisubron Six - flown aboard Photo, Relay & ELS Helicopters | 24 Jul 1975 |
| San Francisco (USS New Orleans) |
Helicopter Recovery Cover signed by Pilot and Crew of Helantisubron Six - was aboard the Standby Helicopter | 24 Jul 1975 |
| San Francisco (USS New Orleans) |
Set of 4 Helicopter Recovery Covers signed by Pilot and Crew of Helantisubron Six - flown aboard 4 different helicopters | 24 Jul 1975 |
| San Francisco (USS New Orleans) |
Helicopter Recovery Cover signed by Pilot of Recovery Helicopter - cover has blue Navy cachet | 24 Jul 1975 |
| San Francisco (USS New Orleans)10 |
Cennential cover signed by Deke Slayton, also signed by the Captain of the USS New Orleans and various members of the recovery team | 24 Jul 1975 |
Note:
1) Almost all Beck covers and most Navy and other cacheted covers were cancelled in San Francisco on the day of
recovery. A small number of covers were postmarked on board the PRS on the day after recovery.
2) The USS Preserver was on call at Port Canaveral on 15th for a launch abort recovery. The USS New Orleans was
stationed in the Primary Landing Area on the 24th for recovery operations.
3) The Akademik Sergi Korolev was stationed off the coast of Honduras (at approximately 16° N, 87.5° W),
while the Kosmonavt Yuri Gagarin was stationed off Sable Island , Nova Scotia (about 44.5° N, 59.5° W)
- source
and NASA Press Kit
4) From the collection of Robert Mcleod
5) Was on standby in port for this mission
6) See my article on PRS covers from this mission which was published
in Astrophile #307. It includes a wide range of covers not shown on this page
7) From the collection of Steve Durst
8) From the collection of Tom Steiner
9) From the collection of Alec Bartos
10) Sold in RR Auction September 2011 for $134 + 20% Buyers premium
This page © Dr Ross J Smith
This page is maintained by the Webmaster
Last modified on 23 September 2011
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