Celebrating NASA & Apollo 11 Through Stamps

Exploring Other Planets and Beyond

10-cent Pioneer 10 single — The 10-cent Pioneer stamp was issued on February 28, 1975.

Pioneer 10 / 11, reconstructed full-scale mock-up — Reconstructed full-scale mock-up of Pioneer 10/11 on display at the National Air and Space Museum.
Courtesy National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

Since the earliest days of the space program, NASA has launched numerous probes to explore the outer reaches of our solar system, including other planets and beyond. Two of the most celebrated of these NASA probes are Pioneer 10 and Mariner 10.

Pioneer 10 was launched to investigate planet Jupiter and then begin a journey to the end of the solar system. Pioneer 10 reached Jupiter on December 3, 1973, and following collection and transmission of data about the planet back to Earth, Pioneer 10 started off on its final mission. The last transmissions from Pioneer 10 were received in 2003.

10-cent Mariner 10 single — The 10-cent Mariner 10 commemorative stamp was issued on April 4, 1975.

Spacecraft, Mariner 10, Flight Spare — Flight spare of the Mariner 10 spacecraft. This flight spare was transferred from NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory to the National Air and Space Museum in 1982.
Courtesy National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

Mariner 10 was launched on November 3, 1973, to provide the first close-up views of planets Venus and Mercury. Mariner 10 arrived at the planet Venus on February 5, 1974, and utilized the gravitational pull of the planet to begin its journey to Mercury. Upon its arrival at Mercury, Mariner 10 became the first manmade spacecraft to reach two different planets.