ITOS-NOAA

ITOS/TIROS-N/ATN
(NOAA) series


Below is a checklist of Improved TIROS Operational System (ITOS), TIROS-N, Advanced TIROS-N (ATN), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) series postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.). 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.

Farther below is a list of ITOS, TIROS-N, and ATN (NOAA) series launch covers, anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers.


CountryCatalog Number*Type of Item**Year of IssueNotes on Content
NOAA
Barbados516 (Mi468)1979ITOS/NOAA1 (not Intelsat)4
Canada2111d (Mi2283)Two stamps and in (lower-left) margin of MS8 (2111 (2x 2111 (a-d)))2005ATN/NOAA3; also COSPAS/SARSAT6
Canada2111a-d fdc (Mi2280-2283 fdc)One stamp of strip of 4 on FDC
Central Africa Republic535a (BL203)In (upper-middle) margin of SS1 (535)1982TIROS-N/NOAA2
China (Taiwan)NoneCancel1970TIROS-N/NOAA2
China (Taiwan)22211981TIROS-N/NOAA2
Comoro Islands758a (BL350)In (upper-right) margin of SS1 (768)1991ATN/NOAA3
French Southern and Antarctic TerritoriesC50 (Mi128)1979TIROS-N/NOAA2; also Argos5
French Southern and Antarctic TerritoriesNoneCachet on cover1990ATN/NOAA3
French Southern and Antarctic TerritoriesC114 (Mi281)1991TIROS-N/NOAA2; also Argos5
French Southern and Antarctic TerritoriesC1471998TIROS-N/NOAA2; also Argos5
GermanyNonePostcard, also back1990sNOAA-9 (in text) and image
Guinea RepublicUnknown (new issue)
Unknown (imperf.)
From SS1, also iSS1, also MS22005NOAA/POES7
Guinea RepublicUnknown (new issue)
Unknown (imperf.)
From SS1, also iSS1, also MS22005TIROS-N
Guinea RepublicUnknown fdc (new issue)Three imperforate stamps on FDC2005NOAA/POES7, TIROS-N
Indonesia18822000ATN/NOAA3
Malagasy Republic969 (Mi1248)One of MS6 (972b (967-972))1990ATN/NOAA3; also Argos5
Malagasy Republic969a (BL135)SS1 (969)
Malagasy Republic1047B (BL178)SS1 (1047)1992TIROS-N/NOAA2
Malagasy Republic1304A (Mi1799Aa-1804Aa)On one of MS6, 972b overprinted in silver1996TIROS-N/NOAA2
Malagasy Republic1304B (Mi1799Ab-1804Ab)On one of MS6, 972b overprinted in gold1996TIROS-N/NOAA2
Micronesia298 (BL41)SS11998ATN/NOAA3
NetherlandsB652One of book of 4 (B652a (B650-B651 + 2x B652))1990ATN/NOAA-11 image
NetherlandsB650-B652 fdcOne of three stamps on FDC
RomaniaNoneCancel1983ITOS/NOAA1
Russia (USSR)5603 (BL196)In (upper-right) margin of SS11987ATN/NOAA3; also COSPAS/SARSAT6
Senegal390 (Mi523)1973ITOS/NOAA1
Senegal388-390 fdcOne of three stamps on FDC
South AfricaNoneCachet on cover1981TIROS-N/NOAA; also Argos5
South AfricaNone(Black rubber-stamp) cachet1984TIROS-N/NOAA
South AfricaNone(Green rubber-stamp) cachet on cover1985TIROS-N/NOAA
South West AfricaNone(Green rubber-stamp) cachet on cover1984TIROS-N/NOAA
Tonga785b (Mi1182)From strip of 3 (785 (a-c))1991TIROS-N/NOAA2; also COSPAS/SARSAT6
Tonga785c (Mi1183)
United Nations947In (lower-left) margin of SS12007ATN/NOAA3
United Nations947aIn (lower-left) margin of SS1, overprinted2007ATN/NOAA3
United Nations (Geneva)NoneMeter1988TIROS-N/NOAA2
United Nations (Vienna)409Six stamps and in (lower-left) margin of MS6 (409a (6x 409))2007ATN/NOAA3
United StatesNoneMeter1970TIROS-M
United StatesNoneCancel1985TIROS-N/NOAA2
United StatesNoneCancel1985TIROS-N/NOAA2
United StatesNoneCachet on 25th anniv. TIROS-1 launch cover1985ATN/NOAA3
Viet Nam (South)447 (Mi525)1973ITOS/NOAA1
Viet Nam (South)447 scSouvenir card
Viet Nam (South)497 (Mi575)447 overprinted new currency1974ITOS/NOAA1

*Scott catalog number, unless prefixed with Mi or BL for Michel.
**FDC = first day cover; SS# = souvenir sheet, where # = number of stamps in sheet, and the numbers in parentheses are the catalog numbers of the stamps in the sheet.

1ITOS/NOAA = TIROS-M (ITOS-1) and NOAA-1 thru NOAA-5.
2TIROS-N/NOAA = TIROS-N and NOAA-6 thru NOAA-7, and NOAA-12.
3ATN/NOAA = NOAA-8 thru NOAA-16, except NOAA-12.
4ITOS/NOAA, not Intelsat as indicated on this item.
5Argos = Argos Data Collection and Location System.
6COSPAS/SARSAT = Search And Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking.
7POES = Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite, a generic name for NOAA satellites.


Below is a list of ITOS, TIROS-N, and ATN (NOAA) series launch covers, anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers.


CountryCancel DateCancel LocationType of ItemNotes on Content
NOAA
United States1970-01-22 / 1970-01-23Vandenberg AFB, CA / Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Printed) cachet on coverTIROS-M launch
United States1970-01-23Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on coverTIROS-M launch
United States1970-01-23Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Printed) cachet on coverTIROS-M launch
United States1970-01-23Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Boudwin rubber-stamp) cachet on coverTIROS-M launch (wrong image)3
United States1970-12-11Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-1 launch
United States1970-12-11Vandenberg AFB, CA(Orbit) cachet on coverNOAA-1 launch
United States1970-12-11Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Riser/Andromeda no.22) cachet on coverNOAA-1 launch
United States1970-12-11Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Printed) cachet on coverNOAA-1 launch
United States1970-12-11Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Solar no.7) cachet on cover, also insertNOAA-1 launch
United States1971-10-21Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Space Voyage) cachet on coverITOS-B launch [failed]
United States1971-10-21Vandenberg AFB, CA(Orbit) cachet on coverITOS-B launch [failed]
United States1971-10-21Vandenberg AFB, CA(Sarzin?) cachet on coverITOS-B launch [failed] (wrong image)
United States1971-10-21Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Riser/Cygnus no.8) cachet on coverITOS-B launch [failed]
United States1971-10-21Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Solar no.25) cachet on cover, also insertITOS-B launch [failed]
Spain1972-10-15Madrid(NASA rubber-stamp) cachet on coverNOAA-2 launch
Spain1972-10-15Madrid(Red rubber-stamp) cachet on coverNOAA-2 launch
United States1972-10-15Vandenberg AFB, CA(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-2 launch
United States1972-10-15Lompoc CA(NASA rubber-stamp) cachet on coverNOAA-2 launch
United States1972-10-15Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Solar no.?) cachet on coverNOAA-2 launch
United States1972-10-15Vandenberg AFB, CA(Sarzin) cachet on coverNOAA-2 launch (OSCAR-6 image)
United States1972-10-15Vandenberg AFB, CA(Orbit) cachet on coverNOAA-2 launch
United States1972-10-15Greenbelt MD(GSFC) cachet on coverNOAA-2 launch
United States1972-10-15Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(NASA rubber-stamp) cachet on coverNOAA-2 launch
United States1972-10-15Lompoc CA(RCA) cachet on coverNOAA-2 launch
United States1972-10-15Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Polar) cachet on coverNOAA-2 launch
United States1973-07-16Greenbelt MD(GSFC) cachet on coverITOS-E launch [failed]
United States1973-07-16Vandenberg AFB, CA(Orbit) cachet on coverITOS-E launch [failed]
United States1973-11-06Vandenberg AFB, CA(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-3 launch
United States1973-11-06Vandenberg AFB, CA(Orbit) cachet on coverNOAA-3 launch
United States1973-11-06Vandenberg AFB, CA(NASA rubber-stamp) cachet on coverNOAA-3 launch
French Guiana1974-11-13Kourou(Lollini) cachet on coverNOAA-4 launch
Germany (West)1974-11-15Bonn(Rubber-stamp) cachet on coverNOAA-4 launch
United States1974-11-15Vandenberg AFB, CA(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-4 launch
United States1974-11-15Vandenberg AFB, CA(Centennial?) cachet on coverNOAA-4 launch
United States1974-11-15Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA(Polar) cachet on coverNOAA-4 launch
United States1976-07-29Vandenberg AFB, CA(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-5 launch
United States1976-07-29Vandenberg AFB, CA(Centennial?) cachet on coverNOAA-5 launch
United States1976-07-29Vandenberg AFB, CA(NASA rubber-stamp) cachet on coverNOAA-5 launch
United States1978-10-13GSFC, MD(GSFC) cachet on coverTIROS-N launch
United States1978-10-13Vandenberg AFB, CA(Space Voyage) cachet on coverTIROS-N launch
United States1978-10-13Vandenberg AFB, CA(RCA) cachet on coverTIROS-N launch; also Argos1
United States1978-10-13Vandenberg AFB, CA(NASA rubber-stamp) cachet on coverTIROS-N launch
United States1978-10-13Vandenberg AFB, CA(Centennial?) cachet on coverTIROS-N launch
United States1979-06-27GSFC, MD(GSFC) cachet on coverNOAA-6 launch
United States1979-06-27Vandenberg AFB, CA(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-6 launch
United States1979-06-27Vandenberg AFB, CA(Zaso/IASP silk) cachet on coverNOAA-6 launch
United States1980-05-29Greenbelt MD(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-B launch [failed]
United States1980-05-29Vandenberg AFB, CA(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-B launch [failed]
United States1980-05-29Greenbelt MD(GSFC) cachet on coverNOAA-B launch [failed]
United States1980-05-29Vandenberg AFB, CA(Rubber-stamp) cachet on coverNOAA-B launch [failed]
United States1981-06-23Greenbelt MD(GSFC) cachet on coverNOAA-7 launch
United States1983-03-28Vandenberg AFB, CA(2-color printed) cachet on coverNOAA-8 launch; also COSPAS/SARSAT2
United States1983-03-28Vandenberg AFB, CA(RCA) cachet on coverNOAA-8 launch
United States1983-03-28Greenbelt MD(GSFC) cachet on coverNOAA-8 launch; also COSPAS/SARSAT2
United States1983-03-28Vandenberg AFB, CA(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-8 launch; also COSPAS/SARSAT2
United States1983-03-28Greenbelt MD(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-8 launch; also COSPAS/SARSAT2
United States1984-12-12Vandenberg AFB, CA(Multi-color printed) cachet on coverNOAA-9 launch
United States1984-12-12Lompoc CA, Vandenberg AFB(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-9 launch; also COSPAS/SARSAT2
United States1986-09-17Greenbelt MD(GSFC) cachet on coverNOAA-10 launch
United States1986-09-17Greenbelt MD(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-10 launch; also COSPAS/SARSAT2
United States1986-09-17Vandenberg AFB, CA(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-10 launch; also COSPAS/SARSAT2
United States1988-09-24Greenbelt MD(GSFC) cachet on coverNOAA-11 launch
United States1988-09-24Geeenbelt MD(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-11 launch; also COSPAS/SARSAT2
United States1988-09-24Lompoc CA, Vandenberg AFB(Space Voyage) cachet on coverNOAA-11 launch; also COSPAS/SARSAT2
United States1991-05-14Greenbelt MD(GSFC) cachet on coverNOAA-12 launch
United States1991-05-14Lompoc CA, Vandenberg AFB(NOAA) cachet on coverNOAA-12 launch
United States1993-08-09Greenbelt MD(GSFC) cachet on coverNOAA-13 launch
United States1994-12-30Greenbelt MD(GSFC) cachet on coverNOAA-14 launch
United States1998-05-13Lompoc CA, Vandenberg AFB(Printed) cachet on coverNOAA-15 launch
United States2000-09-21Lompoc CA, Vandenberg AFB(Printed) cachet on coverNOAA-16 launch

1Argos = Argos Data Collection and Location System.
2COSPAS/SARSAT = Search And Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking.
3The satellite depicted on this item is no known satellite design.


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