Skylab 1 Cachets

Recovery Force Ships

Ship	Type	Designation	Covers
Atlantic
USS Escapeⁱ	SRS - Rescue & Salvage Ship	ARS-6	Y
Tracking Ships
USNS Vanguard	TS - Tracking Ship	T-AGM-19	Y
USNS Redstone^ii,2	TS - Tracking Ship	T-AGM-20	U/K
Not Involved
USNS Range Sentinel	TS - Range Tracking Vessel	T-AGM-22	Y
Recovery Control Centers
Norfolk VA	Atlantic Recovery Control Center	N/A	U/K
Kunia HI²	Pacific Recovery Control center	N/A	Y

Postmark Variations

Ship	Description of Postmark	Scarcity
USS Escape	Machine Cancel - Cape Canaveral 15th	U/K
USS Escape	Hand Cancel - Cape Canaveral 16th	U/K
USNS Range Sentinel	Cape Canaveral 14 May Hand Cancel - Also exists with a Black cachet	Common
USNS Range Sentinel	Cape Canaveral 14 May Machine Cancel	Common
USNS Range Sentinel	Cape Canaveral 15 May Machine Cancel. A cover with a different cachet² exists.	U/K
USNS Vanguard¹	Mar Del Plata - 16 May - Rubber Stamp Cachet	U/K

Cachets

Cachet	Description of Cachet	Colours	Type
TF-140	Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force - Atlantic Shows a capsule in the ocean with parachutes	Black, Blue	Rubber Stamp

Interesting Cachets & Covers

Cachet	Description of Cachet	Colours	Type
Houston	USS Ticonderoga Postcard - FDI Skylab Stamp	Multicolour	Printed

Notes General:
i) The USS Escape was the launch site recovery ship.
ii) The USNS Redstone was stationed in port on standby

Notes Other:
1) From the collection of Dennis Paul
2) From the collection of Tom Steiner