U.S. missile mailIn 1959, the first official U.S. missile mail was launched from the submarine USS Barbero at about 100 miles off the Atlantic Coast to the Mayport Auxiliary Naval Station near Jacksonville, Florida. The 36-foot Regulus 1 winged missile carried 3,000 letters, delivering about 22 minutes after launch. The letters included one from President Eisenhower. The mail carried four-cent stamps. Rocket airmail in the U.S. had its first launch in the U.S. on 23 Feb 1936 in an 11-foot rocket with 15-foot wingspread fueled by liquid oxygen and alcohol.Postmaster General Arthur E. Summerfield declared the experiment a success: "Before man reaches the moon, mail will be delivered within hours from New York to California, to Britain, to India or Australia."* |
