Hungary year 1972 Mars Exploration stamps Space MNH
Hungary did issue stamps in 1972 related to space and Mars exploration, specifically commemorating the Soviet Mars missions.
🇭🇺 Hungary 1972 Mars Exploration Stamps
The series is generally known as the “Exploration of Mars” issue. It specifically highlighted the Soviet Union’s achievements in reaching the red planet.
- Key Missions Commemorated: The stamps typically depict the achievements of the Mars 2 and Mars 3 Soviet probes, which were launched in 1971.
- Mars 2 was the first human-made object to reach the surface of Mars (though it crash-landed).
- Mars 3 was the first probe to achieve a soft landing on the Martian surface (though transmission failed shortly after).
- Design: The designs often feature the red planet, the orbital or landing probes, and sometimes the trajectories of the missions.
- Format: The issue consists of a set of stamps, and some collectors reference a strip of two stamps with an adjacent blank label (Scott #2130a, Michel #2739-2740) that focuses on the missions.
Hungary, as a member of the Soviet Bloc, frequently issued stamps celebrating the scientific and space achievements of the Soviet Union.
Note: In 1972, Hungary also issued other space-themed stamps, including ones for Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 (US moon missions), and one for the Venera 8 (Soviet Venus probe). So, it was a big year for space philately in Hungary!
