Fifty years ago, on 29 November 1967, Australia launched its first satellite, WRESAT (Weapons Research Establishment Satellite), from the Woomera Rocket Range in South Australia. The satellite was designed, constructed and launched in just 11 months in a collaboration between the Weapons Research Establishment Salisbury (now Defence Science and Technology Group Edinburgh) and the University of Adelaide. The WRESAT project was made possible by the donation of a launch vehicle by an American-led research project being conducted at Woomera as well as their offer to assist in the launch.
Conical in shape, WRESAT and its motor weighed 72.6 kilograms. During its five-day orbit, it gathered a large amount of data on upper-atmospheric conditions. At the time, Australia was one of only a handful of countries to have successfully launched a satellite.
Learn more about WRESAT and Australian space-themed stamps.
Products released in this issue
- Covers (blank pictorial, gummed)
- Sheetlet of 10 (gummed)
- Sheetlet pack
- Booklet of 20 (self-adhesive)
- Maxicard
Technical specifications
- Issue date
- 12 September 2017
- Issue withdrawal date
- 31 March 2018
- Denominations
- 1 x $1
- Stamp design
- Nigel Buchanan
- Product design
- Jo Mure, Australia Post Design Studio
- Printer
- EGO
- Paper - gummed
- Tullis Russell Red Phos
- Paper - self-adhesive
- Securepost MC90
- Printing process
- Offset lithography
- Stamp size
- 26mm x 37.5mm
- Perforations
- 14.60 x 13.86
- Sheet layout
- Sheetlet of 10
- FDI postmark
- Woomera SA 5720
- FDI withdrawal date
- 11 October 2017
Illustrator and designer Nigel Buchanan has used a “retro” style and colour scheme to set the scene. The design depicts the conically shaped satellite orbiting the Earth and the launch rocket, and is based on some original drawings and diagrams relating to the WRESAT launch.
This content was produced at the time of the stamp issue release date and will not be updated.
