The branch of the Orlando post office agreed to apply cachets to envelopes mailed or presented for handback service. The designs were suggested by collectors and illustrators at NASA but the decision to use the image was made by the post office department. Usually, the department provided sufficient notice so collectors could request illustrated souvenirs of the launches.  Notable exceptions were the Open House in 1970 and Helios in 1974.

The fact that something printed was paid for or distributed by NASA does not make it an Official. Over the years a number of “etiquette” labels have surfaced. Two labels, Apollo 7 and 8 are rightly recognized as Officials. To be an ONC there must have a direct connection to the KSC post office. Similarly, rubber stamps donated by stamp dealers that were used on mail at the Visitor Information Center at the space center do not qualify under the author’s definition.

Like everything else about that mission, Apollo 1 is an exception to the rule. Normally, a KSC Official should be a publically available cachet issued on the day of the launch. When the fatal fire occurred three weeks before the launch, collectors had 50 examples of the proof postmarked to document the tragedy. In the same spirit that permits astrophilatelists to show the first Moon covers dated August 11th, so too must we break our rule and recognize the Apollo 1 proof as a legitimate KSC Official.

Similarly, an essay purportedly canceled at Cape Canaveral on the day of the Apollo fire should not be considered a KSC Official. Had it received the KSC cancel that day it might too be considered an ONC.