The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has given us a treat to ring in the New Year: postage stamps that will commemorate the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Designed by the Heads of State under the art direction of Antonio Alcalá, a new series of stamps will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original Star Trek TV show, which first premiered Sept. 8, 1966 on CBS.
The stamp series pays tribute to Star Trek by incorporating the silhouettes of iconic images and objects from the show. Included are Captain Kirk's Starship Enterprise set against the Starfleet insignia, a standalone silhouette of the Enterprise, and Spock's infamous Vulcan salute. The phrase "SPACE... THE FINAL FRONTIER," a famous line from the opening credits, is also incorporated in the background of each stamp.
The Star Trek set isn't the only new stamp series getting the cosmological treatment: the USPS have also released a chain of lusciously-colored stamps honoring the planets and other celestial bodies in the Milky Way.
"U.S. Postal stamps express the enthusiasm and personality of senders to favorite themes in our society. From Mercury to Neptune, Pluto and Star Trek, it's exciting to see that planetary science and space exploration are being celebrated in these new 2016 stamps," said NASA associate administrator John Grunsfeld.
The Solar System-inspired set has also reissued a new stamp of Pluto. While technically not considered a planet, the decision to include Pluto was made in honor of the recent flyby by the space probe New Horizons, which began the summer of 2015 and concluded in December.
Grunsfeld also commented on about the now-memorialized mission in a press release issued by the space agency on Dec. 30.
"On behalf of NASA scientists across the nation, we're honored that the U.S. Postal Service has chosen to highlight NASA's New Horizons and 50 years of planetary exploration with these iconic images," he added.
As for what inspired the stamps, which will be released in 2016?
"Our stamps articulate the American experience through miniature works of art," said Mary-Anne Penner, the U.S. Postal Service's acting stamp services director. "Our diverse stamp topics for 2016 are sure to appeal to everyone, and with the New Year just around the corner, now is a perfect time to get started in stamp collecting. It's an educational hobby the entire family can enjoy."
Check out the Star Trek- and planetary-themed stamps below.
Via: Popular Science
