In the last few days I have done a number of scans from my DDR (GDR) - collection,I had bought last year.The more I "get into" that collection,the more I like it. The GDR has issued many stamps with space-exploration thematics. Of course,as seen from "the other side",the side of the "socialist" world. A good reason to start a new thread,what will include,of course,also stamps from other places,than just the DDR. The start of this little guy,called Sputnik 1 on Oct.4th,1957,came as a big surprise and even shok to the West,especially to the US. It was the first man-made earth-satellite and till today is the most popular one. Stamp issued Nov.7th (!),1957.
Another "big bang" was the (intended crash-) landing of Luna 2 (Lunik 2) on the moon. Stamp issued Sept.21st,1959.
One more "triumph of socialsim": Juri Gagarin circuiting the earth in space on April 12th,1961. Issued April 18th,1961 (10 Pfg.),April 20th,others.
I started a collection of Moon Landing anniversaries etc, but soon fell into other space themes as well. Here is a nice cover issued 1965 by Czechoslovakia commemorating "Space Achievements", with Grissom, Young and "Gemini 3", and "Gemini 3" on Launching pad at Cape Kennedy.
German Titov was the second cosmonaut in space.His flight lasted one day with his spaceship Vostok 2. He visited later the US and met President Kennedy and John Glenn. Although he was a drinker and not very well-disciplined he rose through the ranks and achieved the rank of a lieutenant general,the highest rank any cosmonaut ever achieved. After the end of the Soviet Union,he became a member of the Duma (russian parliament) for the Communist Party. He died suddenly (in his sauna) in the year 2000.
First soviet group space flight of Vostok III and Vostok IV with the cosmonauts P.R.Popovitch and A.G.Nikolajev. Souvenir sheet issued Sept.13th,1962.
5th anniversary of soviet space fligts,showing various details of the russian achievements.Issued Dec.28th,1962.
Valentina Tereshkova (born 1937) was the first woman in space (1963) both stamps are from a set of 4,issued Oct.17th,1963; After her flight she studied on (military ingeneering science) and achieved finally the rank of an airforce major-general. She also went into politics and became a member of the russian parliament in 1966. Of course her hero-status was of good help. Here shown with N.S.Khrushchev and Juri Gagarin,on a stamp issued April 17th,1964 (from a set of 2),in commemoration of Khrushchev´s 70th birth anniversary. In 1971 she became a member of the central committee of the Communist Party. After the end of the Soviet Union,she became a member of the Duma,the russian parliament,for the United Russia Party. She still is a very prominent deputy in Putin´s party.
I may have posted this sometime in the past. Poor Laika! "The pioneers are the ones with the arrows in their backs."
The 2-meter-universal-reflector-telescope built in 1960,is still the largest of it´s kind in Germany.It was built in co-operation of both german states,East and West. Constructed by Alfred Jensch,the moving parts have a weight of 65 metric tons.The 10 m long tubus weights 26 tons and the mirror is 2370 kg.On the occasion of Jensch´s 80th birthday it was renamed to "Alfred-Jensch-Telescope".Also a minor-planet bears his name. Carl Zeiss Jena built four more telescopes of this type,what were all exported to other (socialist) countries. Stamp issued March 2nd,1967. (from a set of 2)
20 Pfg. Venus 4 (Venera 4),first "soft" landing probe on Venus. The landing is not documented.Because the descent was much slower, than anticipated - due to a much higher atmospheric pressure, than suspected -,the lifetime of the batteries ended,when the probe was at at height of 25 km above ground. The last measurement was temperature 270° C.,22 bar atmospheric pressure... 25 Pfg. Kosmos 186 & 188,first automatic docking in space. Issued Jan.24th,1968.
