Michael Coats & Fidel R. Rul Jr. Dual-Signed NASA Kokee Station Airmail Cover, 1982

In March 1982, the Space Shuttle program was nine months old and still electric. Michael Coats — then a member of the first class of Shuttle astronaut candidates, selected in 1978 — signed this airmail cover in bold black cursive, adding his title below: Space Shuttle Astronaut. The cover originated from the NASA Kokee Tracking Station on Kauai, Hawaii, one of the agency's key nodes in its global spaceflight tracking network. A pair of 10¢ "First Man on the Moon" Air Mail stamps (Scott C76) — issued to commemorate Apollo 11 — frame the Waimea, HI postmark. The combination is deliberate: a cover linking the Moon landing's legacy to the Shuttle era's opening chapter, signed by a man about to write part of it.

Two years after signing this cover, Coats flew as pilot on STS-41-D (1984), Discovery's maiden voyage — the first of three spaceflights that logged him more than 463 hours in space. He commanded STS-29 in 1989 and STS-39 in 1991, and ultimately led NASA's Johnson Space Center as its 10th director from 2005 to 2012, overseeing the final 20 Space Shuttle missions and the completion of the International Space Station. His signature here predates his first flight by two years. What elevates this cover above the typical astronaut-signed philatelic piece is the second autograph: in blue ink at upper left, Fidel R. Rul, Jr., director of the Kokee Station itself, signed directly above his printed name and title beneath the station's blue NASA "worm" logo. One signature from the man who would fly the missions; one from the man on the ground who helped make them possible. Both were present, both were proud enough to sign — and both understood what the program meant.

The NASA Kokee Tracking Station, situated on the remote Koke'e plateau of Kauai at roughly 3,600 feet elevation, served as a critical link in NASA's worldwide spaceflight communications and tracking network. Its Pacific position made it strategically valuable for monitoring orbital trajectories, and the station was active through multiple Shuttle-era missions. Fidel R. Rul, Jr. served as its director — his name appears in the station's return address block here, and NASA records confirm his continued association with the agency in later years. The NASA "worm" logo printed on the cover is itself a period artifact: introduced in 1975 and retired in 1992, its presence here precisely dates the piece to the early Shuttle era.

A Certificate of Authenticity from Mesilla Valley Estate Sales will be issued with this lot.

CONDITION

Very Good. Clean and bright with crisp cancellation and strong stamp color. Light handling marks to the reverse from postal processing; Coats' signature is clear and well-contrasted on the face. Director Rul's signature at upper left is partly overlapped by the postmark cancellation bar.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Cover: 3 5/8" × 6 1/2"
• Postmark: Waimea, HI — March 22, 1982
• Stamps: Pair, 10¢ "First Man on the Moon" Air Mail (Scott C76)
• Signatures: Michael Coats (Space Shuttle Astronaut); Fidel R. Rul, Jr., Director, NASA Kokee Tracking Station
• Certificate of Authenticity: Mesilla Valley Estate Sales