U5501

New Horizons Probe

Pluto Explored

Cover Announcement 

The United States became the first nation in history to explore all of the planets thanks to the efforts and achievements of NASA. New Horizons is an interplanetary space probe that was launched as part of the space agency's New Frontiers Program. It left Earth on January 19, 2006 with a mission of flying by and exploring the surfaces of several planets.

On February 28, 2007 it made its closest approach to Jupiter. NASA had probed every planet as far as Neptune from 1962 to 1989. When New Horizons flew by Pluto on July 14. 2015 at a distance of 7800 miles above the surface, it completed a historic half-century of solar system reconnaissance bv the United States.

The hand painted cachet shows the speeding space probe as it approaches Pluto in the distance. The new stamp is postmarked with the first day of issue cancelation. The New Horizons Space Probe is now ready. Collins #U5501 at $15.00.