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This news was updated at 6:27 p.m. ET.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Fifty eld after becoming the prototypal U.S. traveler to control into space, the New Alan B. Shepard, Jr. was remembered weekday with the promulgation of a achievement in his honor. The ceremonial postage, which the U.S. Postal Service issued together with added achievement for the prototypal satellite to itinerary the follower Mercury, is the prototypal ever to show a specific astronaut.

The unify of stamps — or se-tenant as referred to by achievement collectors — were formally introduced during a First Day of Issue start held at NASA's President Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. USPS and NASA officials were connected by Shepard's threesome daughters and his man Original Mercury 7 traveler histrion Carpenter at the event, which took locate in the shadow of a copy of the 80-foot herb that spaceman rode into expanse on May 5, 1961. [Photos: America's 1st Human Spaceflight]

"I am so pleased ... that the United States Postal Service has chosen to take Mercury and Alan spaceman with a stamp," Carpenter said.

"Today the United States Postal Service honors NASA by immortalizing the Project Mercury and the MESSENGER satellite in achievement form," added President Space Center's administrator parliamentarian Cabana. "Two historic events that inclose a remarkable 50 assemblage period of discovery and exploration."

The stamp's design, which the USPS prototypal previewed last November, shows spaceman centralised between images of his Mercury-Redstone 3 herb lifting soured and his Freedom 7 capsulise above the Earth.

Opposite the astronaut's semblance on an adjoining achievement is an artist's performance of NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, which in March became the prototypal to enter itinerary around the follower Mercury.

"They are connected by more than just a name," said physicist Bolden, NASA's Admnistrator, referring to the digit stamps' Mercury theme. "They embody the fiber of conception and doing bounteous things for which NASA has always been known."

First in a decade, prototypal for an astronaut

The digit stamps are the prototypal space-themed releases to be offered by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in more than a decade. The spaceman achievement also marks the prototypal instance the U.S. has reputable an traveler with his own postage.

"In intellection most our father's activity to this prestigious honor, we actualise that Daddy is the exclusive azygos traveler to be pictured on a United States postal stamp. It will help people to remember what a great leader for the astronauts he was," said Julie spaceman Jenkins, who was connected at the start by her sisters Laura Churchley and Alice Wackerman. In all, 20 members of Alan Shepard's kinsfolk attended the start in his honor.

Since the primeval 1970s, U.S. achievement activity criteria impact required an individualist be person at least fivesome eld prior to their existence suitable for consideration. Further, events of "historical significance" are restricted for start on anniversaries in multiples of 50 years.

Shepard died of leukemia at geezerhood 74 in July 1998. Although he was not the prototypal traveler to transfer away, his prototypal flight is the prototypal U.S. manned assignment to accomplish 50 years.

Previous U.S. stamps impact represented scenes from NASA's manned missions including a 1967 issue display the prototypal dweller spacewalk and a 1969 ceremonial honoring the "First Man on the Moon," but neither explicitly titled their represented subjects as Ed White or Neil Armstrong. In addition, to fellow every astronauts attending on stamps impact been illustrated act their spacesuits, their face unseeable by their helmets' visors.

While acknowledging spaceman as the "First dweller in Space" — as the stamp's inscription reads -- the organisation omits any meaning to him having also been the fifth out of exclusive 12 men to the achievement on the slug (and the prototypal and exclusive to impact sport ball soured its surface).

The MESSENGER achievement is the third to depict a assignment to the closest follower to the Sun, though the prototypal sacred specifically to the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging, or MESSENGER, probe. The preceding digit — issued in 1975 and 1991 — reputable the prototypal satellite to control by Mercury, Mariner 10. [Photos of Mercury by MESSENGER]

MESSENGER successfully achieved itinerary most Mercury on March 17, 2011, after motion 6.5 years, completing 15 orbits of the Sun. It is outlay the next assemblage function the planet's surface.

"It is not cushy to capture the meaning of these [two] achievements on digit stamps but the unpaid graphics of illustrator Donato Giancola of Brooklyn, NY, under the content of Phil river of Falls Church, Va., impact finished a wonderful job," said author Masse, the postal service's vice president for finance and planning.

Giancola, who is famous for his book cover illustrations for power falsity authors including the New Isaac Asimov and President C. Clarke, worked on the achievement with Jordan, a past art administrator for Smithsonian Air & Space magazine.

Both first-class stamps, as with every 2011 U.S. issues, are "Forever" denomination, which can be utilised to mail a one-ounce take disregarding of when the stamps were bought or used, and no matter what the item rates may be in the future.

"It is I think pertinent to mention added item most this achievement in the good of the United States Postal Service and in watch the bespoken of today, a selection was prefabricated not to place 44 cents on Al's achievement but it is 'Forever.' That's pertinent to the stamp, but it is also pertinent to the instance we should take and remember Alan B. spaceman and Freedom 7," said Carpenter.

Obtaining the stamps

Collectors unable to be at the start in Florida can ease letter first-day-of-issue cancels by purchase their own stamps at their topical post office and then affixing them to envelopes. The envelopes should be addressed for convey (peelable labels are acceptable) and mailed inside a larger envelope to:

Mercury Project and Mercury Messenger Stamps Postmaster 1538 Harrison St., Titusville FL 32780-9998

Requests for the first-day cancels staleness be postmarked by July 3, 2011.

The stamps, First Day of Issue start programs, First Day covers and uncut advise sheets are also existence offered for sale finished the USPS website.

Visit collectSPACE.com for photos and coverage of Wednesday’s First Day of Issue Ceremony for the Mercury Project and MESSENGER Mission stamps.

You can study collectSPACE on Twitter @collectSPACE and application parliamentarian Pearlman @robertpearlman. Copyright 2011 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.

• Photos: Freedom 7, America's 1st Human Spaceflight
• America's First Spaceship: Project Mercury (Infographic)
• New Photos of Mercury From NASA's Messenger Probe

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