This table represents event covers released for the launch or other events associated with an Australian satellite. It should be noted that only two satellites have been launched from Australian soil, only one of which was Australian (WRESAT). Initially, this table only shows a limited number of covers per event. However, in many cases, a range of cachets were produced and more will be shown over time.
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|
Satellite |
Date1 |
Place |
Country |
Purpose |
Orbit |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wresat |
|
|
|
Scientific |
LEO |
Australian designed and built satellite |
|
29-11-1967 |
Woomera |
Australia |
|
|
Woomera Rocket Range |
|
|
29-11-1967 |
Woomera |
Australia |
|
|
Weapons Research Establishment |
|
|
29-11-1967 |
Woomera |
Australia |
|
|
Tracking Station about 50 km north of Woomera |
|
|
29-11-1967 |
Woomera |
Australia |
|
|
Satellite tracking camera operated for NASA by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in the Island Lagoon Area |
|
|
29-11-1967 |
Woomera |
Australia |
|
|
Tracking station about 200 km west of Woomera |
|
|
Australis/Oscar 5 |
|
|
|
Amateur Radio |
LEO |
Built by students from the University of Melbourne |
| Launch |
23-01-1970 |
Colorado Springs |
USA |
|
|
Postmarked at Colorado Springs. Also see this example3. |
| Launch |
23-01-1970 |
Vandenberg AFB |
USA |
Spacecraft cover with red postmark from Vandenberg AFB | ||
| Launch |
23-01-1970 |
Vandenberg AFB |
USA |
Two postmarks from Vandenberg. First is standard postmark for the 22nd while the other is a larger red postmark for the 23rd. | ||
|
Aussat 1 |
|
|
|
Communications |
GEO |
First Australian Communications Satellite |
|
27-08-1985 |
Kennedy S.C. |
USA |
|
|
|
|
|
24-08-1985 |
Tharwa |
Australia |
|
|
Deep Space Communications Complex (includes Tidbinbilla) |
|
|
27-08-1985 |
Kennedy S.C. |
USA |
|
|
|
|
|
28-08-1985 |
French's Forest |
Australia |
|
|
Main Aussat Communications & Tracking Center - Belrose Australia |
|
|
03-09-1985 |
Edwards AFB |
USA |
|
|
|
|
|
Aussat 2 |
|
|
|
Communications |
GEO |
Moved to graveyard orbit |
|
27-11-1985 |
Kennedy S.C. |
USA |
|
|
|
|
|
24-08-1985 |
Tharwa |
Australia |
|
|
Deep Space Communications Complex (includes Tidbinbilla) |
|
|
27-11-1985 |
Kennedy S.C. |
USA |
|
|
|
|
|
28-11-1985 |
French's Forest |
Australia |
|
|
Main Aussat Communications & Tracking Center - Belrose Australia |
|
|
03-12-1985 |
Edwards AFB |
USA |
|
|
|
|
|
Aussat 3 |
|
|
|
Communications |
GEO |
First moved to 31.5° E, then moved to graveyard orbit: April 2008 |
|
15-09-1987 |
Kourou |
French Guyana |
|
|
|
|
|
15-09-1987 |
Kourou |
French Guyana |
|
|
|
|
|
Optus B1 |
|
|
|
Communications |
GEO |
Moved to graveyard orbit: May 2008 |
|
14-08-1992 |
Xichang |
China |
|
|
|
|
|
Optus B2 |
|
|
|
Communications |
GEO |
Launch Failed |
|
21-12-1992 |
Xichang |
China |
|
|
|
|
|
Optus B3 |
|
|
|
Communications |
GEO |
Originally at 156E, moved to 164E Operational2 |
|
28-08-1994 |
Xichang |
China |
|
|
|
|
|
Westpac/Fizeau |
|
|
|
Laser Reflector |
LEO |
One of a number of secondary payloads to RESURS-O-4. Joint project of Electro Optic Systems of Queanbeyan, New South Wales and the Russian Space Agency |
|
10-07-1998 |
Baikonour |
Kazakhstan |
|
|
|
|
|
Kolibri-2000 |
|
|
|
Educational |
LEO |
Joint Australian/Russian Microsatellite |
|
26-11-2001 |
Baikonour |
Kazakhstan |
|
|
|
|
|
28-11-2001 |
Korolev S.C. Moscow |
Russia |
|
|
To the ISS |
|
|
20-03-2002 |
Korolev S.C. Moscow |
Russia |
|
|
From Progress M1-7 |
|
|
Fedsat |
|
|
|
Scientific |
LEO |
Australian designed and built satellite ceased service in Sept. 2007. One of a number of secondary payloads to ADEOS-II. |
|
|
14-12-2002 |
Tanegashima |
Japan |
|
|
No Covers Known |
|
Optus C1 |
|
|
|
Communications |
GEO |
156° E Operational2 |
|
11-06-2003 |
Kourou |
French Guyana |
|
|
|
|
|
11-06-2003 |
Kourou |
French Guyana |
|
|
Kourou Tracking Station |
|
|
Optus D1 |
|
|
|
Communications |
GEO |
160° E Operational2 |
|
13-10-2006 |
Kourou |
French Guyana |
|
|
|
|
|
13-10-2006 |
Libreville |
Gabon |
|
|
Gabon Tracking Station |
|
|
13-10-2006 |
Kourou |
French Guyana |
|
|
Multitracking Cachets |
|
|
Optus D2 |
|
|
|
Communications |
GEO |
152° E Operational2 |
|
05-10-2007 |
Kourou |
French Guyana |
|
|
|
|
|
05-10-2007 |
Libreville |
Gabon |
|
|
Gabon Tracking Station |
|
|
Optus D3 |
|
|
|
Communications |
GEO |
Co-located with Optus C1 at 156° E Operational2 |
|
21-08-2009 |
Kourou |
French Guyana |
|
|
|
|
|
21-08-2009 |
Libreville |
Gabon |
|
|
Gabon Tracking Station |
|
|
21-08-2009 |
Kourou |
French Guyana |
|
|
Multitracking Cachets |
|
| Sky Master I | 30-09-2015 |
Kourou |
French Guyana |
Communications |
GEO |
140° E |
| Sky Master II | 05-10-2016 |
Kourou |
French Guyana |
Communications |
GEO |
145° E |
| UA SUSat (QB50 AU01) | 25-05-2017 | ISS | ISS | Science | LEO | CubeSat for the University of Adelaide - Launched along with 35 other CubeSats from the ISS. Failure. Reentry 21-03-2019 |
| UNSW EC0 (QB50 AU02) | 25-05-2017 | ISS | ISS | Science | LEO | CubeSat for the University of NSW - Launched along with 35 other CubeSats from the ISS. Reentry 03-12-2018 |
| INSPIRE-2 (QB50 AU03) | 26-05-2017 | ISS | ISS | Science | LEO | CubeSat for the UNSW, USYD & ANU - Launched along with 35 other CubeSats from the ISS. Reentry |
| BINAR-1 | 08-2021 | ISS | ISS | Science | LEO | Not Yet Launched - Curtin University CubeSat |
| CUAVA-1 | 08-2021 | ISS | ISS | Science | LEO | Not Yet Launched - Australian Research Council Training Centre for CubeSats, UAVs, and their Applications |
| RAAF M1 | 03-12-2018 | Vandenberg | USA |
Communications |
3U Cubesat built by UNSW for ADFA RAAF carrying an AIS receiver to track shipping. an ADS-B receiver to track aircraft and a software defined radio with a deployer antenna for performance test for communications and naigation using GNSS satellites. Reportedly failed to transmit. Launched on a Falcon 9 rocket. | |
| RAAF M2 | 23-03-2021 | Mahia | New Zealand |
Communications |
Cubesat that can divide into 2 (M2-A & M2B) built by UNSW for ADFA RAAF. The data captured by M2 will inform maritime surveillance, weather observations and low-orbit satellite traffic. | |
| CSIROSat-1 | U/K | Science | Not Yet Launched - Launched for the CSIRO | |||
|
Type of Item |
Issue Date |
Value |
Description |
Other Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown |
Postage Paid |
Optus prestamped envelope |
Includes undated postmark |
The only know stamps depicting Australian satellites were issued by Australia on 24 January 1986.
|
Type of Item |
Issue Date |
Value |
Description |
Scott No. |
SG No. |
Other Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Stamp (1 of 2) |
24/01/1986 |
33c |
AUSSAT Satellite |
972 |
998 |
AUSSAT |
|
Stamp (2 of 2) |
24/01/1986 |
80c |
AUSSAT Satellite (Different View) |
973 |
999 |
AUSSAT |
The following are Australian postmarks which show satellites
|
Postmark |
Pict. No.* |
Date |
Description |
Reason for Issue & Other Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary Postmarks | ||||
| Woomera SA | APM2500 | 29/11/1967 | Large circular pmk shows small satellite - FIRST AUSTRALIAN SATELLITE | Issued for the launch of Australia's 1st satellite WRESAT-1 |
| Frenchs Forest NSW | 1) APM16820 2) APM16821 |
24/01/1986 | Postmark shows map of Australia & AUSSAT Satellite - Earth Station Belrose 1) Normal 2) Different Font for Date |
AUSSAT 2 Stamp FDI |
| Melbourne Vic | APM16760 | 24/01/1986 | Postmark shows Map of Australia & AUSSAT Satellite | National FDI Postmark for AUSSAT Stamps |
| St. George's WA | APM24351 | 19/03/1992 | Postmark shows satellite and broadcast tower | ISY stamps FDI |
| AEROPEX 94 Type 2 | 1) APM27242 | 20/11/1994 | Rectangular pmk with rounded ends shows a map of Australia, the Shuttle, a satellite & planets | National Aero/Astro Exhibition one of a number of postmarks released for the exhibition |
| Permanent Postmarks | ||||
| Ceduna SA | 1) APM17950 2) APM17955 3) APM23470 4) APM23471 |
various | Postmark shows the 'OTC Satellite Earth Station' | 23 January 1987 - --mm diameter - S.A. 1) Ordinary Postmark 2) FDI Postmark 13 June 1991 - 32mm diameter - SA 3) Ordinary Postmark 4) FDI Postmark |
| Woomera SA | 1) APM9910 2) APM? 3) APM23420 4) APM? |
various | Postmark is symbolic showing an orbiting satellite in the arc of a dish with a rocket shape midway up the picture | 1) 29 July 1981 - 37mm diameter 2) 16 June 1982 - 32mm diameter 3) 13 June 1991 - Sth Aust replaced with SA 4) 25 February 2002 - removed some lines |
Notes
1) Dates are in day/month/year format. They also represent local time and thus may differ by 1 day from GMT
2) Operational as of 1 January 2012
3) From the Un-Manned Satellite Philately website of D. Hillger and G. Toth.
This page © Dr Ross J Smith
This page is maintained by the Webmaster
Last modified on 23 August 2022
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