According to the excellent ‘Space Craft Covers’ (A Monograph and Catalog) by Charles J. Vukotich Jnr:
“Astronaut Series: In 1965-66 SCC gave its subscribers information sheets on the first and second group of astronauts. These were printed in various colors on a standard blue border. The blue border included the SCC logo and ‘Swanson’. Every sheet included one photo. These were a numbered series of 32 starting with #1 Grissom and ending with #32 Scott.”
These sheets were provided with issues of the Space Craft Explorer magazine. Each page has the wording “Astronaut Series – Space Craft Explorer Supplement” at the top. The series was introduced in the January 1965 issue and ended with the October 1966 issue. Joe Fitzpatrick and Carl Swanson titled this series ‘Together Let Us Explore the Stars’.
Here are the 32 different ‘Astronaut Series’ issues presented as a flipbook:
Here are the 32 different ‘Astronaut Series’ issues, in order:
The following table outlines (approximately) which ‘Astronaut Series’ sheet was sent with which Space Craft Explorer issue. If anyone has more accurate information, please contact me so I can update this table, thanks !
| Astronaut Sheet / Astronaut | SCC Explorer Issue |
| # 1 – Gus Grissom | JAN 1965 |
| # 2 – John Young | JAN 1965 |
| # 3 – Wally Schirra | FEB 1965 |
| # 4 – Tom Stafford | FEB 1965 |
| # 5 – Jim McDivitt | MAR 1965 |
| # 6 – Ed White | MAR 1965 |
| # 7 – Group Photo No. 1 | APR 1965 |
| # 8 – Group Photo No. 2 | APR 1965 |
| # 9 – Group Photo No. 3 | MAY 1965 (?) |
| # 10 – Jim Lovell | MAY 1965 (?) |
| # 11 – Frank Borman | JUN 1965 (?) |
| # 12 – Pete Conrad | JUN 1965 (?) |
| # 13 – Gordon Cooper | AUG 1965 (?) |
| # 14 – Neil Armstrong | AUG 1965 (?) |
| # 15 – Elliott See | SEP 1965 (?) |
| # 16 – Scott Carpenter | SEP 1965 (?) |
| # 17 – Walt Cunningham | NOV 1965 (?) |
| # 18 – Alan Shepard | NOV 1965 (?) |
| # 19 – John Glenn | NOV 1965 (?) |
| # 20 – Richard Gordon | NOV 1965 (?) |
| # 21 – Charles Bassett | DEC 1965 (?) |
| # 22 – Michael Collins | DEC 1965 (?) |
| # 23 – Roger Chaffee | FEB 1966 (?) |
| # 24 – Deke Slayton | FEB 1966 (?) |
| # 25 – Donn Eisele | APR 1966 (?) |
| # 26 – Alan Bean | APR 1966 (?) |
| # 27 – Clifton Williams | AUG 1966 (?) |
| # 28 – Gene Cernan | AUG 1966 (?) |
| # 29 – Buzz Aldrin | OCT 1966 |
| # 30 – Bill Anders | OCT 1966 |
| # 31 – Rusty Schweickart | OCT 1966 |
| # 32 – Dave Scott | OCT 1966 |
The ‘Astronaut Series’ is mentioned at least 10 times in the different Space Craft Explorer magazines (see below). It seems as though the promised Russian Astronaut Series did not eventuate. Space Craft Covers was offering to sell complete sets of spiral-bound Astronaut Series in mid-1967. Does anyone have a photo of the spiral-bound set that they could send me so I can show it here ?
JAN 1965:
FEB 1965:
MAR 1965:
APR 1965:
JUN 1965:
OCT 1965:
DEC 1965:
JUN 1966:
OCT 1966:
JUN 1967:
