Ohsumi

Ohsumi
(and other Japanese
scientific/research/technology satellites)

Shinsei
OhsumiShinsei

This page contains philatelic information on the Ohsumi (and other Japanese scientific/research/technology satellites). Catalog numbers, years of issue, and notes on the satellites featured are given when available. If readers know of additional information or images, please contact the authors using the e-mail addresses at the bottom of this page.

Launch information
(found elsewhere)
Launch covers
(including anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers)
(farther below)
Other postal items
(stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.)
(immediately below)
Ohsumi
(Japan)
Ohsumi
(Japan)
Ohsumi
(Japan)
Shinsei
(Japan)
Shinsei
(Japan)
Shinsei
(Japan)
Shinsei (on other than Shinsei launch covers)
ISS / Ume
(Japan)
ISS / Ume
(Japan)
ISS / Ume
(Japan)
CORSA / Hakucho
(Japan)
CORSA / Hakucho
(Japan)
CORSA / Hakucho
(Japan)
COMETS / Kakehashi
(Japan)
COMETS / Kakehashi
(Japan)
COMETS / Kakehashi
(Japan)
OICETS / Kikari
(Japan)
OICETS / Kikari
(Japan)
OICETS / Kikari
(Japan)


Below is a list of Ohsumi (and other Japanese scientific/research/technology satellite) postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.).

CountryCatalog NumberType of ItemYear of IssueNotes on Content
Ohsumi (Japan)
AjmanMi1220A
Mi1220B

Imperforate
1971"Ohsumi"-5: "Japan's first satellite blasting into orbit"
AjmanMi1220 ssSS1 (Mi1220)
AjmanMi1217_ss+Mi1219-1220_ss fdcOne of three SS1 on FDC
Central African RepublicUnknown ms (Mi?)MS6 (a-f + 2 labels)2024"55th anniv. launch Ohsumi" (in French text)
Central African RepublicUnknown ss (BL?)SS1
Central African RepublicUnknown ss (BL?)SS1 (different)
Central African RepublicUnknown1 ssSS12025"Osumi" spelling; "55th anniv. launch Ohsumi" (in French text)
Central African RepublicUnknown2 ssSS1 (different)
Djibouti1991 (Mi3403)From MS6 (1991b (6x 1991))2020"50th anniv. launch of Ohsumi, the first Japanese satellite" (in French text); (the launch took place on 11 February, 1970)
Djibouti1992 (Mi3404)From MS6 (1992b (6x 1992))
Djibouti1993 (Mi3405)From MS6 (1993b (6x 1993))
Djibouti1994 (Mi3406)From MS6 (1994b (6x 1994))
Djibouti1994a (Mi3403-3406)MS4 (1991-1994)
Djibouti1995 (BL1420, Mi3407)SS1
Guinea-BissauMi11140From MS8 (8x Mi11140 + label)2020"50th anniv. launch of Ohsumi, Japan's first satellite" (in 1970); also Ohsumi and Lambda-4S launch rocket (in label)
Guinea-BissauMi11141From MS8 (8x Mi11141 + label)"50th anniv. launch of Ohsumi, Japan's first satellite"; "Lambda-4S"-1-4 failed to put Ohsumi-1-4 into orbit; "Lambda-4S"-5 succeeded in carrying Ohsumi-5, Japan's first satellite, to orbit in 1970; also Ohsumi and Lambda-4S rocket (in label)
Guinea-BissauMi11142From MS8 (8x Mi11142 + label)"50th anniv. launch of Ohsumi, Japan's first satellite"; "Lambda-4S"-1-4 failed to put Ohsumi-1-4 into orbit; "Lambda-4S"-5 succeeded in carrying Ohsumi-5, Japan's first satellite, to orbit in 1970; also Ohsumi and Lambda-4S rocket (in label)
Guinea-BissauMi11143From MS8 (8x Mi11143 + label)"50th anniv. launch of Ohsumi, Japan's first satellite ... in 1970, from the Kagoshima Space Centre" by the Lambda-4S-5 rocket; also Ohsumi and Lambda-4S rocket (in label)
Guinea-BissauMi11140-11143_ms4MS4 (Mi11140-11143)"50th anniv. launch of Ohsumi, Japan's first satellite"; Ohsumi (in one stamp), and the Lambda-4S Ohsumi launch rocket (in the three other stamps)
Guinea-BissauBL1907SS1"50th anniv. launch of Ohsumi, Japan's first satellite"
Japan2881c (Mi3650)One of strip of 5 (2881 (a-e)) (Mi3648-3652), or two stamps and in (upper-right) margin of MS10 (2881f (2x (2881 (a-e)))), or one stamp and in (upper-right) margin of MS10 (2882 (2881 (b-e) + 2882 (2x (a-c))))2004Ohsumi
St. Thomas and Prince IslandsMi8737-8740_ms4MS4 (Mi8737-8740)2020"50th anniv. launch Ohsumi"
St. Thomas and Prince IslandsMi8737-8740_ms4 fdcMS4 and (St. Thomas Post) cachet on FDC
St. Thomas and Prince IslandsBL1590SS1 (Mi8741)
St. Thomas and Prince IslandsBL1590 fdcSS1 and (St. Thomas Post) cachet on FDC
Shinsei (Japan)
United Nations256 fdc (Mi279 fdc)(Space Voyage) cachet on FDC1975"Shinsei"
ISS / Ume (Japan)
No (non-launch cover) postal items found
CORSA / Hakucho (Japan)
No (non-launch cover) postal items found
COMETS / Kakehashi (Japan)
Japan2548 fdc1 (Mi2427 fdc1)(Pictorial) cancel on FDC (multi-color printed cachet)1996COMETS / Kakehashi
Japan2548 fdc2 (Mi2427 fdc2)(Pictorial) cancel on FDC (? cachet)
Japan2548 fdc3 (Mi2427 fdc3)(Pictorial) cancel on FDC (? cachet, different)
Japan2549 (Mi2426)
Japan2549 fdc1Stamp on FDC (? cachet)
Japan2549 fdc2Stamp and (?) cachet on FDC
Japan2549 maxiMaxicard
OICETS / Kikari (and INDEX / Reimei) (Japan)
TurkmenistanMiA1852006OICETS and INDEX launch (also launch date)


Below is a list of Ohsumi (and other Japanese scientific/research/technology satellite) launch covers (including anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers).

CountryCancel DateCancel LocationType of ItemNotes on Content
pre-Ohsumi
Japan1966-09-26Yotsuya(Rank velvet) cachet on coverpre-Ohsumi-1 "Lamda-4s" launch [failed]
Japan1966-09-26Uchinoura(Chuck Vukotich hand-drawn) cachet on coverpre-Ohsumi-1 "Lamda-4s" launch [failed]
Japan1966-12-20Yotsuya(Rank velvet) cachet on coverpre-Ohsumi-2 "Lamda-4s" launch [failed]
Japan1967-04-13Yotsuya(Rank velvet) cachet on coverpre-Ohsumi-3 "Lamda-4s" launch [failed]
Japan1967-04-13Uchinoura(Rank velvet) cachet on coverpre-Ohsumi-3 "Lamda-4s" launch [failed]
United States1967-09-22Colorado Springs CO(R.E. Nichol) cachet on cover, also backpre-Ohsumi-4 launch [failed]; ("ten years to build" appears exaggerated, since the University of Tokyo started its satellite program in 1962, and this launch was in 1969); also "1st stage bumps on separation" is incorrect - the third stage failed to shut down properly and continued to burn, causing a collision between 3rd and 4th stages at fourth stage separation)
1970-02-11: Ohsumi
Great Britain1970-02-11?(Multi-color printed) cachet on coverOhsumi launch
Japan1970-02-11Uchinoura(Rank velvet) cachet on coverOhsumi "Lamda-4s5" launch
Japan1970-02-11Uchinoura(Chuck Vukotich hand-drawn) cachet on coverOhsumi "Lamda-4s5" launch
United States1970-02-11Colorado Springs CO(R.E. Nichol) cachet on coverOhsumi launch (but Alouette depicted)
pre-Shinsei
Japan1970-10-25Uchinoura(Chuck Vukotich hand-drawn) cachet on coverpre-Shinsei, not Yomiuri, (Mu-4S) launch [failed] (launch date was 1970-09-25, not "1970-10-25" as in the cancel)
1971-09-28: Shinsei
Japan1971-09-28Uchinoura(Space Voyage) cachet on coverShinsei launch
Japan1971-09-28Uchinoura(Black printed) cachet on coverShinsei launch
Shinsei (on other than Shinsei launch covers)
Japan1971-02-16Uchinoura (scenic cancel)(Black printed) cachet on Tansei-1 launch cover"Tansei was designed to test rocket and satellite systems to be used for the orbiting of the first Japanese scientific observation satellite [Shinsei], scheduled for this year".
Japan1977-02-23Tanegashima (scenic cancel)(JapanCover no.79) cachet on ETS-2 launch coverShinsei
ISS / Ume (Japan)
1976-02-29: ISS-1 / Ume-1
Japan1976-02-29Tanegashima (scenic cancel)(JapanCover no.6(?)) cachet on coverISS-1 launch
1978-02-16: ISS-2 / Ume-2
Japan1978-02-16Tanegashima (scenic cancel)(Space Voyage) cachet on coverISS-2 launch
Japan1978-02-16Tanegashima (scenic cancel)(JapanCover no.93) cachet on coverISS-2 launch
CORSA / Hakucho (Japan)
1976-02-04: CORSA-A / Hakucho [failed]
No launch cover images available yet
1979-02-21: CORSA-B / Hakucho
Japan1979-02-21Uchinoura(Zaso silk) cachet on coverCORSA-B launch
Japan1979-02-21Uchinoura(Space Voyage) cachet on coverCORSA-B launch
Japan1979-02-21Uchinoura(Red printed and black rubber-stamp) cachet on coverCORSA-B launch
1998-02-21: COMETS / Kakehashi
No launch cover images available yet
2005-08-23: OICETS / Kikari (and INDEX / Reimei and Turkmenistan Memorial Capsule)
No launch cover images available yet


Back to Scientific/research/technology satellites.
Back to Un-manned Satellite (or Spacecraft) Philately.



Copyright © 2012-2026, Colorado State University. All rights reserved.
This Website created and maintained by Don Hillger and Garry Toth.
Updated: 2026-02-10