A specialised collection of eighteen illustrated postal covers/cards relating to rocket experiments, astronauts, cosmonauts and space exploration, presented on seven album pages. Issued by or associated with the Deutsche Raketen-Gesellschaft (DRG) and Hermann Oberth-Gesellschaft (HOG), the material dates from 1963–1964. Themes include experimental rocket gliders, the Hamburg and Darmstadt rocket and space congresses, Reinhold Tiling, Ranger VI, Saturn-Apollo, Gemini and Dyna-Soar. The collection combines items bearing rocket-carriage cachets with commemorative space-event mail. The astronaut portraits and spacecraft illustrations do not imply that these items travelled aboard the depicted missions. DETAILED CONTENTS Soltau – Rocket-Glider Experiments, 14 September 1963 Illustrated postal item for DRG experimental series TR 5, printed in blue with a spacecraft and glider scene. Franked with a German 40 + 20-pfennig kingfisher youth charity stamp, tied by the Soltau “DRG Raketenversuche” special cancellation dated 14 September 1963. Bears a large black glider-shaped cachet inscribed “DRG Gleiter” and “Befördert mit Rakete”, with the same date. Companion item for experimental series TR 6, printed in red with a futuristic rocket-glider illustration. Franked with a German 20 + 10-pfennig bullfinch youth charity stamp and bearing the matching Soltau cancellation and glider-shaped carriage cachet. Both are addressed to the DRG at the twelfth rocket and space congress in Hamburg. The accompanying album text discusses the development of supply rockets and a rocket glider intended for eventual radio control. Hamburg – Twelfth Rocket and Space Congress, September 1963 Five portrait items bear congress cachets inscribed “XII. Raketen- und Raumfahrttagung / 20.–22. Sept. 1963 / Hamburg”, together with Hamburg special cancellations dated 21 September 1963. All are addressed to Kurt Dahmann in Berlin. Andriyan Nikolayev portrait item, with rocket and star imagery, the printed designation DRG 18 and “Baustein 1 DM”. Franked with a 15-pfennig Berlin Heuss stamp and bearing a blue-violet congress cachet. Pavel Popovich portrait item, designated DRG 19, with rocket imagery and “Baustein 1 DM”. Franked with a 20-pfennig Berlin definitive stamp and bearing a blue congress cachet. Gordon Cooper portrait item, designated DRG 20, with parachute and capsule imagery. Franked with a 15-pfennig Berlin Heuss stamp and bearing a turquoise congress cachet. Valery Bykovsky portrait item, designated DRG 21, with spacecraft imagery. Franked with a 20-pfennig Berlin definitive stamp and bearing a turquoise congress cachet. Valentina Tereshkova portrait item, designated DRG 22, with spacecraft and star imagery. Franked with a 15-pfennig Berlin Heuss stamp and bearing a red congress cachet. The “Baustein 1 DM” inscriptions are society fundraising inscriptions, separate from the postal frankings. These are commemorative portrait items; no astronaut or cosmonaut autographs are claimed. Reinhold Tiling Memorial Rocket Experiments – 30 November 1963 Illustrated DRG postal item depicting Tiling’s winged rocket, with explanatory text describing its folding-wing arrangement and early experiments. Franked with a 15-pfennig Berlin architectural stamp and cancelled at Bohmte on 30 November 1963 with the pictorial “Reinhold Tiling / In Memoriam” special postmark. Bears a diagonal blue cachet commemorating the special launch in Tiling’s memory and stating rocket carriage on 30 November 1963. Companion item depicting the memorial stone for Reinhold Tiling and his assistants Angela Buddenböhmer and Friedrich Kuhr. Franked with a 25-pfennig Berlin architectural stamp and bearing the matching Bohmte memorial cancellation and rocket-carriage cachet. The printed experimental-series designation includes TR 8. Both are addressed to the DRG in Hamburg. The accompanying album text describes two experimental series conducted in Tiling’s memory. Ranger VI – Wilhelm Foerster Observatory, Berlin, February 1964 Three HOG covers bear illustrated Ranger VI observation-station cachets naming the Wilhelm Foerster Observatory in Berlin and dated 2 February 1964. Printed inscriptions identify the Berlin regional group and refer to the society’s former DRG name. Cover printed in red, including “Wichtige Mitteilung!”, addressed to Paul Henke in Berlin. Franked with a 10-pfennig Berlin definitive stamp and cancelled at Berlin 19 on 1 February 1964 with an equestrian-event special postmark. Bears a violet Ranger VI spacecraft cachet. Companion airmail cover addressed to the Hermann Oberth-Gesellschaft in Hamburg. Franked with a 25-pfennig Berlin definitive stamp and bearing the same Berlin cancellation dated 1 February 1964 and a violet Ranger VI observation-station cachet. Cover addressed as printed matter to the British Interplanetary Society in London. Franked with a 30-pfennig Berlin definitive stamp and cancelled at Berlin on 2 February 1964. Features a red Ranger VI observation-station cachet and blue society printing. The 25- and 30-pfennig stamps show visible punched perforations. The covers are offered as illustrated. The observation-station cachets commemorate the mission and do not indicate carriage aboard Ranger VI. Darmstadt – Thirteenth Rocket and Space Congress, June 1964 Five illustrated HOG items carry the printed fundraising inscription “Baustein 1 DM”, a 15-pfennig Berlin Heuss stamp, a Darmstadt congress special cancellation and a coloured rocket-and-globe congress cachet inscribed “XIII. Raketen- und Raumfahrt-Tagung / Darmstadt 25.–28.6.1964”. All five are addressed as airmail/printed matter to Kurt Dahmann-Verlag in Berlin. “Projekt Saturn-Apollo”, design no. 23. Illustrated with launch-vehicle and lunar-mission imagery. Bears a blue congress cachet and a Darmstadt cancellation dated 26 June 1964. “Projekt Gemini”, design no. 24. Illustrated with spacecraft components above the Earth. Bears a red congress cachet and a Darmstadt cancellation dated 27 June 1964. “Projekt Dyna-Soar”, design no. 25. Features a winged spaceplane and launch-vehicle illustration. Bears a turquoise congress cachet and a Darmstadt cancellation dated 26 June 1964. “Projektiertes Weltraumschiff”, design no. 26. Depicts a proposed spacecraft near the Moon. Bears a blue congress cachet and a Darmstadt cancellation dated 27 June 1964. “Projektierte Mondstation”, design no. 27. Depicts a proposed lunar station, communications equipment and a lunar-surface scene. Bears a red congress cachet and a Darmstadt congress cancellation. These illustrations document contemporary space-project themes and concepts; they are commemorative designs rather than evidence of mission carriage. Second Day of Astrophilately – Darmstadt, 27 June 1964 Illustrated postal item featuring a large blue spacecraft image and FISA emblem. Printed text identifies the second Day of Astrophilately, organised in cooperation with the APC (FISA) during the thirteenth rocket and space congress. Franked with a German 10 + 5-pfennig herring youth charity stamp and cancelled at Darmstadt on 27 June 1964 with a pictorial congress postmark. Bears an additional “2. Tag der Astrophilatelie / Darmstadt 27.6.1964” cachet and is addressed to the HOG in Hamburg. FRANKINGS AND MARKINGS The collection includes Berlin definitive and architectural stamps, German bird and fish youth charity issues, and a varied selection of pictorial postal cancellations and society cachets. Features include: Soltau rocket-experiment cancellations and glider-shaped carriage cachets. Five astronaut and cosmonaut portrait items with Hamburg congress markings. Two Reinhold Tiling memorial items with Bohmte cancellations and rocket-carriage endorsements. Three Ranger VI observation-station covers, including one addressed to the British Interplanetary Society. Five Darmstadt congress designs covering Saturn-Apollo, Gemini, Dyna-Soar and proposed spacecraft and lunar stations. A dedicated Day of Astrophilately item. I can combine the shippings strictly following the Catawiki rules. IMPORTANT INFO: Following a recent change in international sector regulations, specifically Articles 18 and 19 of the Universal Postal Convention, starting from January 1, 2026, it will no longer be possible to send items (goods with or without commercial value) using International Registered and International Insured services, which will continue to be used exclusively for sending documents. It means that starting from January 1st, 2026, I will ship abroad only by "POSTE DELIVERY INTERNATIONAL