Astrophilately

What is Astrophilately ?

Astrophilately is one of the thirteen Philatelic Classes the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (F.I.P.) supports in stamp exhibitions.
Here is : "All you ever wanted to know about Astrophilately" .

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What is Astrophilately ?

Astrophilately is the collecting of philatelic material related to space exploration. It does not develop a theme, it is a philatelic study of the scientific and technical progress achieved in conquest of space, including stratosphere research, early rocketry and precursors to various types of spacecrafts.

Astrophilately is a chronological recording of all relative events within the different space programs.

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What is an Astrophilatelic exhibit ?

An astrophilatelic exhibit is built up on historical, technical and scientific aspects related to space research and space programs.

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What is appropriate philatelic material in astrophilately ?

Appropriate philatelic material of an astrophilatelic exhibit includes the following :

- Documents handed over by a postal administration for dispatch by stratosphere balloons, rockets, spaceships, rocket planes, recovery ships, rescue helicopters and other supporting aircraft or vice-versa.

- Stamps, leaflets and vignettes related to rocket mail, postal stationary, mailgrams and special envelopes and cards of relevance to the different parts of the space program, including the related precursors, the launch-flight-landing of space traveling objects and the participating tracking stations, skios and supporting aircraft.

- Among the special characteristics of astrophilately are envelopes and cards cancelled by the post office at the place and on the exact date of the special event.

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Subdivisions in Astrophilately

Astrophilately can be divided in several sub-programs to allow more variability in exhibitions :
— from the period of pioneers to conquest of space
— rocket mail
— space programs by the USSR/Russia, United States, Europe, China, Japan, …
— unmanned space programs
— manned space programs

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Special Regulations and Guidelines

Half the eighties of past century, five well known astrophilatelists prepared the Special Regulations for the Evaluation of an astrophilatelic exhibit (SREV) and the Guidelines for the jury interpretation.

These SREV & Guidelines were accepted by F.I.P. and are always checked by jury members when judging an astrophilatelic exhibit.

Astrophilatelic societies and clubs worldwide

Throughout the world, in all continents, philatelists are collecting astrophilatelic items and BFV Cosmos has good relations with all of them.

List of astrophilatelic societies

The Section for Astrophilately within F.I.P.

During the International F.I.P. Exhibition in Taipei, at the Delegate Conference, the new Board of the Astro-Commission in F.I.P. was elected on October 2016 :

Chairman :

Secretary :

Bureau Members :

Charles Bromser

Tan Chee Hui

Christian Schmied /FEPA

David Ball / FIAF

Madhukar Jhingan / FIAP

Australia

China

Switzerland

United States

India

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