Posts: 921
From: Denver, CO USA
Registered: May 2003

posted 12-19-2024 03:55 PM               

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I would like to know if any covers exist for the Pioneer 0 (also known as Able 1) launch that was planned to put the spacecraft into orbit around the Moon. It was launched on August 17, 1958 and was destroyed by an explosion of the first stage of the Thor booster 73.6 seconds after liftoff.

If you know of any covers that were cancelled for this launch please let me know. If you can post a photo of the cover that would be even better. Thanks.

Posts: 632
From: Derbyshire UK
Registered: Mar 2023

posted 12-20-2024 03:26 AM               

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Pioneer-0 is on my wants list, but I have yet to see a legitimate cover for it. Neither Goldey or Sarzin produced a cacheted cover for the launch, and it was too early for a SpaceCraft production although I still hope to find one with a later generic Swanson RSC — although I'm coming to the conclusion that is merely wishful thinking.

I have not seen any uncacheted covers on the 17th August 1958 from the Canaveral area either.

A year or two ago there was a cover for sale on eBay purporting to be a Pioneer 0 launch cover, although in truth it was nothing of the sort: it had a genuine cancellation for the correct date, but that was it, the cancel was some random US naval ship that had zero to do with rocket launches, with a pasted on black and white photocopied photo of a Thor rocket and some words typed on a slip of paper also pasted onto the envelope. I was intrigued enough to check out the ship to see if it had any connection and was very disappointed to find it had none whatsoever.

Posts: 1809
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003

posted 12-20-2024 05:29 AM               

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I've never seen one with a legit postmark (Port Canaveral, Patrick AFB, or any town nearby).

As Alan mentioned above, someone seems to be calling unrelated naval postmarks as legit space event postmarks, and there is one of those out there for Pioneer 0.