posted 12-04-2011 11:26 AM               

Space Cover #138: Edwards Rocket Test Site Postmarks

Last week a fellow collector e-mailed me with a question about a cover postmarked at the Edwards, Calif., Rocket Test Site Br., on February 14, 1961. He was curious about what space-related event may have happened that day at Edwards, AFB. Unfortunately, I did not know. So that inspired me to make Edwards Rocket Test Site postmarked covers the SCOTW for this week!

The Edwards Rocket Test Site was established on Luehman Ridge, about 12 miles east of the main base and 6 miles South of Boron, CA., to static test the Air Force's rapidly growing array of missile engines in the late 1950's. Engines for the Atlas, Thor, and Minuteman missiles were tested there. I have seen some reference to testing of the Saturn 5's F-1 first stage engine there, but could not find specifics.

On July 20, 1959, a branch of the Edwards AFB Post Office was opened there, which hand-cancelled its mail with the "Edwards, Calif., Rocket Test Site Br." postmark (see cover at top, first day of service). The branch was discontinued on July 1, 1972 (see middle cover, last day of service). Some cover servicers sought out Rocket Test Site postmarks to commemorate events, including Clyde Sarzin, who had a special cachet for these postmarks (bottom cover).

Now, the problem is that a log of the firings performed at the Rocket Test Site has not been published. So, many of the Rocket Test Site covers that were postmarked for firings cannot be correlated to the event for which they were postmarked. There are several of these cover dates that correspond to X-15 flight aborts back at Edwards' main base (I typed that note in on the Sarzin cover above). But they were more likely postmarked for a missile engine test, and the X-15 abort that day just happened to be a coincidence. The last time I was at Edwards combing through their archives, I asked the historian about a log of missile engine tests. He replied that if one existed, it would be over at the rocket test site. Unfortunately, I could not drive over there that day.

So, the question for this astute group is — does anyone have a log of missile engine test firings at the Edwards Rocket Test Site? It would sure help those of us with covers from there...

posted 12-07-2011 10:14 AM               

Years ago I acquired a "Rocket Site" canceled cover dated March 28, 1961, and had Scott Crossfield autograph it but have not taken time to learn what event it was for.