Space Shuttle Program Joins American Icons in Commemorative Stamp Collection

Kirsten Williams

Headquarters, Washington, DC

(Phone: 202/358-0243)

Cathy Yarosky

United States Postal Service, Washington, DC

(Phone: 202/268-2126)

RELEASE: 00-12

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM JOINS AMERICAN
ICONS IN COMMEMORATIVE STAMP COLLECTION

The Space Shuttle Program today joined video games, the
Cabbage Patch Kids dolls and 12 other American memories as part of
the U.S. Postal Service’s “Celebrate the Century” program; the 15-
stamp series was unveiled today at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center,
FL.

The stamps, which are available at post offices across the
country starting today, were selected by the public during
nationwide balloting in February 1999. The stamps highlight
significant events of the 1980s.

The text on the gummed side of the Space Shuttle stamp reads,
“Space Shuttles have transformed U.S. space exploration. These
reusable crafts can launch satellites and house labs for
scientific experiments. Columbia, the first Space Shuttle, was
launched April 12, 1981.”

“I wanted to thank the Postal Service for taking the vote.
I’m pleased the people have voted the Space Shuttle one of the
significant achievements of the 1980s,” said Kennedy Center
Director Roy D. Bridges, Jr.

“We are delighted that the American public chose the Space
Shuttle Program stamp and 14 others to represent the 1980s,” said
Viki Brennan, Central Florida District Manager, Customer Service
and Sales, who dedicated the stamps for the Postal Service.

Other events and icons that warranted this commemoration are
the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the
film “E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial”, the return of U.S. hostages
from Iran, the TV comedy “The Cosby Show”, the Broadway musical
“Cats”, hip-hop culture, figure skating, the San Francisco 49ers
football team, personal computers, compact discs and cable TV.

Today’s First Day of Issue Ceremony at the Kennedy Space
Center Visitor Complex included Bridges, Brennan, veteran Space
Shuttle astronaut Rick Linnehan, U.S. Representative Dave Weldon,
and Rick Abramson, president and chief operating officer of the
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

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