VandenbergAFB/Lompoc NASA Cachets

     Most space cover collectors are not aware of the NASA prepared cachets for some of the NASA launches at Vandenberg AFB, California. I first became aware of them while reading Eddie Bizub's article NASA-WLOD Cachets in David S. Ball's American Astrophilately: The First 50 Years, and the illustrations of some of the cachets in a separate part of the book.

     The cachets are usually black, green, or a shade of magenta. For the latter, they have been described as "purple" in the book and examples range from a bright red to a dark magenta. To date, only once launch appears to have a green cachet. The cachets appear to be stamped on the envelopes in the same position with little, or no, variation in their placement for each individual launch.  It would be fair to also describe them as not being very appealing visually.

     The cachets have either KSC-WLOD (Kennedy Space Center-Western Launch Operations Division) or KSC-WOSO (Western Operations Support Office) as part of the cachet and are larger than the  generally smaller blue and red NASA cachets from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida that were provided for most of the manned launches. The Space Lab and a few other later cachets were larger and exceptions to the smaller previous ones.

• Kennedy Space Center, Florida red and blue cachets provided by NASA for many of the manned launches. These often small cachets are visually appealing and generally exist in large numbers from the low thousands to twenty thousand. The larger Space Lab-2 cachet, along with several others of a similar size, appeared near the end of the series.

     According to Mr. Bizub, collectors could send up to two blank envelopes to the Public Relations office at Vandenberg AFB prior to a launch, requesting the cachet. His father, who used to send for these cachets related that one never knew what one would receive in return. At times you got two of the same cachet, at others two different cachets.

     In the Collect Space web site at www.collectspace.com Mr. Ball published additional information about this series of cachets, stating that the WOSO (WLOD) covers were the topic of discussion in the July 1975 publication Explorer, but by 1978 Linn's Stamp Newspaper reported that the public relations office at Vandenberg had been closed. Fortunately, Mr. Gene Schlimmer, a NASA employee and philatelist continued to service these covers for collectors.

     Mr. Ball additionally stated that in 1979 Explorer magazine reported that NASA would terminate cancelling covers for the Western Test Range in California immediately. However, it is known that covers were still being being stamped with new cachets up to 1981, and possibly as late as 1984. An obvious unanswered question is who was creating these cachets and if they did continue to appear, were the later ones sanctioned by NASA? At this time there are no identified cachets after October 6, 1981.

     Because these cachets look like many of the other rubber stamped cachets being produced for the Vandenberg launches, and are not very distinctive, they are not recognized by collectors for what they are. Obviously they must be considered somewhat scarce as not many people were aware of them and those that were could only request two for each launch, and at times only received one. That meant that none of the major servicers had them to distribute to their customers. They did however have hundreds of cancelled envelopes for these launches to which they applied their own cachets. Without being aware that these are official NASA cachets, most collectors would ignore them for printed cachets with attractive art work done in several colors, that would be unaddressed. Collectors should be aware that U.S. collectors like their covers unaddressed, while European collectors like them addressed and sent through the mail.

     No definitive list exists for the cachets as no one seems to know which are the NASA cachets for many of the launches. To date, this list is the most complete one known. To complicate matters, some non-NASA rubber stamped cachets had "KSC-WOSO" as part of their designs as well. Often a cachet is thought to be one from this series, but later found not to be. That appears to be the case with many of those previously thought to be identified.

• Green non-NASA cachet that has "NASA KSC-WOSO as part of the cachet. The address sticker that has been removed was addressed to Robert Boudwin, the well known cover servicer. This privately produced cachet is totally different from the NASA one for this launch.

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•  These two covers for NIMBUS-G of October 24, 1978, cancelled at Lompoc and VAFB are also not part of this series. The cachet and postmark on the right was originally thought to be part of the series and is illustrated in Mr. Bizub's article and was described as "black." Under magnification one realizes it is dark purple. This is a privately produced cachet. Note that the word NASA is not spelled in a stylized manner as all of the covers seem to have been after the October 6, 1975 AE-D launch, and as is found on the genuine cachet for this launch. This is also the only known cachet that is actually purple. 

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• This cachet is very similar to the one above it but with the rocket on the right side of the text. This MAGSAT cachet is also not part of the series. The genuine cachet has been identified and is illustrated in the list below.

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• This is another cachet the author thought might possibly be one of the series but the use of two colors made it suspect. Later it was determined that the NASA had to be in a different format and shortly thereafter, the genuine cachet was identified.

​     Another mystery is that some covers are numbered on the front in black ink, as if someone were trying to keep track of the number serviced. For some of the launches some covers have larger size numbers, and other covers of the same launch have smaller size numbers stamped on them. One can conclude that there must have been two counting systems going on at the same time. On the other hand, most of the launches have no numbers stamped on them.

     What we do have to work with at this time are two different lists - identified cachets and "possibles." Originally, the two lists were almost identical in size, with the "possible" cachets out-numbering the identified cachets by two. Several cachets from the "possibles" have now been identified and some of those previously identified have been found not to be part of the series. Mr. Bizub related that the "possible" list is only a list of the NASA launches from Vandenberg in an attempt to narrow down the possibilities. There is no evidence at this time suggesting NASA cachets exist for many of them. Only time and the help of other collectors will tell.

Bear in mind while looking for these covers that:

1.  They only exist for some of the NASA launches, not the military launches common from this site.

2.  Cachets are one color - black, green, and magenta and it's shades. Most being black or magenta.

3.  All have Vandenberg AFB or Lompoc, California postmarks.

4.  Most covers are addressed or have had address stickers removed.

​5. NASA is written in a stylized fashion in the cachet of October 6, 1975 and all later cachets.

October 15, 1972

ITOS-D          Black cachet            Vandenberg AFB     Additional black cachet added 

The listings begin with a problem. The first identified cachet was the ITOS-F launch of November 5, 1973. The problem is that there is a cover with a nearly identical cachet with a slightly different text for the ITOS-D, launched on October 15, 1972, which reads, "Western Test Range VAFB, California." This date has always been listed as one of the "possible" cachets. While it was the author's opinion that these were genuine cachets from this series, Mr. Bizub's father, who used to collect these,  related that the first three cachets with borders, were provided by a servicer and are not NASA cachets.

• This previously "possible" cachet from October 15, 1972 has a different text at the bottom with a different lay-out and a solid black frame. Additionally, there is a second cachet added to the cover. The OSCAR 6 cachet was not provided by the servicer, nor by NASA. The cancellor was provided by AMSAT (Amateur Satellite Corporation) and was sold for $3 and the buyer could use it as he/she pleased.

November 21, 1972

      ESRO-IV               Black cachet          Vandenberg, AFB

• Above is another cachet previously thought to be part of the NASA series. Mr. Bizub's father relates that these were provided by a servicer, not NASA.  Please note that this illustration has been manipulated. The cachet was stamped on the cover upside down and was changed to make it easier to view for the purposes of this catalog.

​November 5, 1973

ITOS-F          Black cachet          Vandenberg, AFB

• Another cachet previously thought to be part of the series, but is now known not to be.

All of the following covers were thought at one time to be part of this series. It is now known that these cachets were provided by a servicer, not by NASA.

Starting with the October 6, 1975 cachet all covers have NASA added to them and it is written in a stylized manner. It is believed at this time that these are the only identified cachets provided by NASA.

October 6, 1975

AE-D                Black cachet           Vandenberg AFB     Has LIFTOFF 02:00 in black added

Previously, all the cachets appear to have been stamped in black ink. Most of the following cachets are in shades of magenta.

December 5, 1975

DAD                 Magenta cachet       Vandenberg AFB

May 4, 1976

LAGEOS         Magenta cachet      Vandenberg AFB

                          Magenta cachet      Vandenberg AFB     Has LIFTOFF  01:00 in black added

July 29, 1976

ITOS-E2-H      Magenta cachet      Vandenberg AFB     Has LIFTOFF 10:07 in red added

                          Green cachet          Vandenberg AFB     Only known green cachets

                          Magenta cachet (?)      Lompoc

                          Green cachet          Lompoc 

From this point on the site is identified as KSC-WOSO in the cachets.

March 6, 1978

LANDSAT-C    Magenta cachet      Vandenberg AFB

April 26, 1976

AEM-A              Magenta cachet      Vandenberg AFB

June 26, 1978

SEASAT-A        Magenta cachet        Vandenberg AFB     Large black numbers on the envelope

October 13, 1978

TIROS-N           Magenta cachet        Vandenberg AFB     Large black numbers 

• This is a mystery cachet as it has elements of the TIROS-N cover illustrated above it, but has no "NASA KSC-WOSO, Vandenberg, Ca." on it and has different text at the bottom. It also has the large numbers in black under the address. It is the author's opinion that parts of the NASA cachet were used, with additional text, to service covers for a dealer. Thus, this would not be part of the series.

October 24, 1978

NIMBUS-G       Magenta cachet         Vandenberg AFB     Large black numbers on envelope

June 27, 1979

NOAA-A            Magenta cachet         Vandenberg AFB     Small black numbers on envelope

                           Magenta cachet         Vandenberg AFB     Large black numbers on envelope

October 30, 1979

MAGSAT           Magenta cachet         Vandenberg AFB

May 29, 1980

NOAA-B               Black cachet     Vandenberg AFB     

• This cachet is identical to the one that is following it, with the exception of not having a letter after "NOAA-."

June 23, 1981

NOAA-C              Magenta cachet        Vandenberg AFB     Oddly, these cachets have "WTR/Vandenberg AFB, CA, but no "KSC-WLOD" or "KSC-WOSO."

                              Black cachet              Vandenberg AFB

•  This cachet is identical to the preceding one, with the exception of the letter "C" being added to it. 

The site is now identified as WSMC/Vandenberg, AFB, CA in the cachet.

October 6, 1981

SME Explorer     Magenta cachet        Vandenberg AFB

POSSIBLY PART OF THIS SERIES

     This list is taken from Mr. Bizub's article. Basically, this is a list of the NASA launches from the Western Test Range, in an attempt to narrow down the possibilities of what might exist. It is this author's opinion that NASA cachets probably do not exist for most of these launches.

1972

January 31, 1972   HEOS A-2

March 11, 1972   ESRO

July 23, 1972   ERTS-A

October 15, 1972  ITOS-D 

November 21, 1972   ESRO-IV 

December 10, 1972   NIMBUS-5

December 16, 1972   AEROS

1973

July 16, 1973   ITOS-E

December 15, 1973   EXPLORER-51

1974

March 8, 1974   UK-X4 

June 3, 1974   Scout

July 16, 1974   Scout [AEROS-B] 

1977

October 27, 1977   Scout

1981 

May 14, 1981   NOVA-1

August 3, 1981   Dynamic Explorer

October 6, 1981   SM Explorer

1982

July 16, 1982   LANDSAT-D

1983

January 25, 1983   IRAS

May 26, 1983   EXOSAT

June 27, 1983   STP-83-1

1984

March 1, 1984   LANDSAT-D Prime

October 11, 1984   NOVA-III

I would like to thank David Ball and Eddie Bizub for their help in writing and illustrating this web page. If anyone can add more information to this, as of yet unresolved mystery please contact me at rhcourtney33 at gmail.com.

Mr. Ball's book American Astrophilately: The First 50 Years, can be ordered at www.americanastrophilately.com.

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