Australia 2000 Space

• Issue Date: 3 October 2000
• Designed by: Beth McKinlay
• Illustrated by: Otto Schmidinger
• Printed by: SNP Ausprint
• Print Process: Lithography
• Withdrawal date: 31 October 2001

Description

The theme for stamp collecting month is space and these stamps present a fantastic view of life on Mars in the not too distant future. Rather than portraying the vast empty regions of space or showing a fraction of the multitude of objects that exist in our universe, the design approach was to show the human face of space exploration. The issue depicts a fantasy, grounded in reality, portraying a human outpost on Mars.

Stamps

Sheet Stamps

45c Terrain Stamp

• Perforations: 14½ x 14
• Stamp Size: 26 mm x 37.5 mm
• Format: sheets of 50 (two panes of 25 se-tenant with Astronaut stamp separated by gutter)

Shows a view of the settlement landscape, dominated by the domed cities separated by water reservoirs. These reservoirs are artificial. Water is piped into them from under the surface of the north pole.

45c Terrain

45c Astronaut Stamp

• Perforations: 14½ x 14
• Stamp Size: 26 mm x 37.5 mm
• Format: sheets of 50 (two panes of 25 se-tenant with Terrain stamp separated by gutter)

Shows an astronaut experiencing a freefall entry to Mars using a personal thruster to control her descent from the orbiting cruise ship.

45c Astronaut

Se-tenant Pair

Se-tenant pair x 45c

45c Spacecraft Stamp

• Perforations: 14½ x 14
• Stamp Size: 50 mm x 30 mm
• Format: sheets of 50

Shows skimmers leaving the cruiser ship, some skimmers carry visitors, others carry cargo.

45c Spacecraft

45c Flight Crew Stamp

• Perforations: 14 x 14½
• Stamp Size: 30 mm x 25 mm
• Format: sheets of 50

Shows crew in a skimmer following two cargo skimmers. The cargo skimmers are guided by remote control and homing-beams.

45c Flight Crew

45c Launch Site Stamp

• Perforations: 14 x 14½
• Stamp Size: 30 mm x 50 mm
• Format: sheets of 50

Shows a shuttle rocket taking off from the surface. It carries skimmers back to the cruise ship. In the foreground are a surveyor and his robotic assistant marking locations for new kelp rods.

45c Launch Site

45c Robots Stamp

• Perforations: 14½ x 14
• Stamp Size: 25 mm x 30 mm
• Format: sheets of 50

Shows two robotic workers cleaning a kelp rod. These rods are clear, to transmit the sun’s radiant energy, and flexible, so they are able to withstand the high winds common on the Martian surface. Inside the rods, sunlight, water, kelp and other algae react to produce oxygen, used to enrich the Martian atmosphere.

45c Robots

Self-adhesive Stamps

• Perforations: serpentine die cut 11½ x 11¼, 11½ (coil stamps)
• Formats: booklets of 10, coils of 100

Single Stamps

45c Terrain

45c Astronaut

Coil Pair

Coil pair x 45c

Booklet

$4.50 booklet cover

Booklet pane of 10 x 45c

Miniature Sheet

• Perforations: 14½
• Miniature Sheet Size: 73 mm x 166 mm

The miniature sheet features translucent foil on the spacecraft and the astronauts’ visors. The stamps from the miniature sheet are slightly larger in one dimension.

Miniature sheet of 6 x 45c

First Day Covers

The first day of issue postmark was Launching Place VIC 3139.

First day cover - sheet stamps

First day cover - self-adhesive stamps

First day cover - miniature sheet

Maximum Cards

45c Terrain maximum card	45c Astronaut maximum card	45c Flight Crew maximum card
45c Robots maximum card	45c Spacecraft maximum card	45c Launch Site maximum card

Presentation Pack

Presentation pack front cover

Presentation pack - 6 x 45c plus miniature sheet