STS-7 Space Shuttle Mission Signed by John Fabian— "Builder of the Shuttle Wing" View Watchlist >
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Lot # Nasa110G
System ID # 29520196
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STS-7 Space Shuttle Mission Signed by John Fabian— "Builder of the Shuttle Wing"
On June 18, 1983, Space Shuttle Challenger lifted off from Kennedy Space Center carrying five astronauts — among them Sally Ride, who became the first American woman in space, and mission specialist John M. Fabian, who operated the orbiter's robotic arm to deploy and retrieve satellites for the first time in shuttle history. Four days later, this envelope was postmarked at the Bethpage, N.Y. post office — the hometown of Grumman Aerospace Corp., the Long Island firm that built Challenger's wings. Someone at Grumman was paying attention. Fabian signed it in bold black ink, and it has stayed this way ever since.
Space mission covers are a well-established philatelic genre, but the best of them do something more than commemorate — they connect a specific place, a specific hand, and a specific moment. This one does all three. The Grumman "Builder of the Shuttle Wing" cachet grounds the piece in the industrial history of American spaceflight; the Bethpage postmark anchors it geographically to the people who actually built the vehicle; and Fabian's signature bridges the factory floor to the cockpit. Collectors who focus on Shuttle-era astronaut autographs, space philately, or Cold War aerospace history will recognize exactly what they're looking at.
Authenticity
The signature has been personally confirmed by James and a Certificate of Authenticity from Mesilla Valley Estate Sales will be issued with this lot.
CONDITION
Very Good. The envelope is clean and bright with crisp cachets and a legible postmark; the signature is bold and unfaded. Light handling only, with no tears, stains, or creasing of note. Reverse bears a small blue "C4" notation and is otherwise unmarked.
DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
- Cover: 3 5/8" × 6 1/2"
- Mission: STS-7 (Challenger), launched June 18, 1983
- Postmark: Bethpage, N.Y. USPO — June 22, 1983
- Franking: 20c Ralph Bunche definitive
- Signed: John M. Fabian, Mission Specialist (black ink)
- Certificate of Authenticity: Mesilla Valley Estate Sales (issued with lot)
