Gordon Fullerton Signed NASA STS-2 Air Mail Cover — Moffett Field, Nov. 12, 1981 View Watchlist >
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Lot # Nasa110Y
System ID # 29524823
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Gordon Fullerton Signed NASA STS-2 Air Mail Cover — Moffett Field, Nov. 12, 1981
The morning of November 12, 1981, Columbia was 48 hours into the second Space Shuttle mission — the first time any crewed spacecraft had ever flown into orbit twice. At Moffett Field, California, someone fed this envelope through the postal window and had it stamped. That postmark is a timestamp on a moment when the Shuttle program was still proving itself, still raw, still dangerous. Gordon Fullerton signed it in black ink and wrote "Shuttle Astronaut" beneath his name — not commander, not colonel, not Ph.D. Shuttle Astronaut. That was the whole identity.
Fullerton had earned the title a dozen times over. He was one of the original Enterprise crew, flying the unpowered approach-and-landing tests in 1977 before the Shuttle had ever touched space. He piloted STS-3 aboard Columbia in 1982, then commanded STS-51-F in 1985 — the Spacelab 2 mission that nearly ended in an abort-to-orbit when one of Columbia's main engines shut down early. After NASA, he went to Dryden and spent years flying research aircraft for the agency, logging more hours in more experimental aircraft than almost anyone of his generation. He was a pilot's pilot — the kind of astronaut other astronauts pointed to. The cover is franked with a 10¢ Skylab commemorative and a 10¢ People's Right to Petition for Redress Americana stamp, postmarked Moffett Field, CA 94035, and hand-numbered 00928 in blue at lower center — one of a limited numbered run prepared to mark the flight.
Authenticity
A Certificate of Authenticity will be issued by Mesilla Valley Estate Sales with this lot. The signature is bold, clear, and consistent with known Fullerton signed examples.
Collector's Note
STS-2 signed covers represent a window in the program that no longer exists — the early years when the whole enterprise felt genuinely uncertain, when astronauts were still making the case that the Shuttle could work. Fullerton is not the household name that Armstrong or Glenn became, but among the community that actually understands what astronauts do, he occupies a singular place: test pilot, Enterprise crew member, orbital pilot, mission commander, and lifelong research flier. A signed cover from November 1981, postmarked the day after Columbia's second launch, puts him and that moment in your hand.
CONDITION
Very Good. Envelope surface is clean with bright printing and a bold, fully legible signature. Light tonal spotting to the verso flap area and minor ink smudging at the lower stamp margin. Postmark and cancellation strikes are crisp throughout.
DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
- Cover: 3 5/8" × 6 1/2"
- Postmark: Moffett Field, CA 94035 — Nov. 12, 1981
- Franking: 10¢ Skylab commemorative; 10¢ People's Right to Petition for Redress (Americana series)
- Hand-numbered: 00928
- Inscription: "Gordon Fullerton / Shuttle Astronaut" (black ink)
- COA: Mesilla Valley Estate Sales certificate issued with lot
