Another 12 months have come and gone and I celebrated my 63rd birthday with some fine gifts, including some cool space stamps. The above set from Fujeira feature six early American satellites, such as Pioneer, Telstar, Tiros, Ranger and the first sucessful launch, Vanguard.
The tractor image may have been based on an early test article for a moon roving vehicle and the bell suit is certainly a representative of Republic Aviations concept model of an environment suit.
Like so many early concept images that were circulating in the press, the bell suit found its way into a toy version, in Marx 1962 'Operation Moon Base' set, along with a second version, would would later be developed into a more streamlined option.
Keen to capitalise on the idea after the suit design appeared on the cover of Life magazine in 1962, Mattel produced a version for their 6" poseable figure line Major Matt Mason, some years later in 1967.
A second set of Yemen stamps commemorating 'Flights to the Planets' contrast the early visualisations of space travel with actual space probes.
Stamps from Yemen have also featured images of concept vehicles which were again used by the toy industry.
Finally a slight departure from Space, but a subject which also fascinated me as a child, Dinosaurs. This partial set of five Polish stamps show early marine life and reptiles which predated the larger saurians.
