The Postal Service’s Pluto stamp didn’t just fly by the dwarf planet this week — it also soared on Twitter, the popular social media site.
NASA affixed the stamp to the New Horizons spacecraft, which swept past Pluto July 14. One official said the 1991 stamp, which bears the words “Not Yet Explored,” served as “a call to arms” for scientists.
Throughout the week, NASA and USPS exchanged playful tweets.
After the flyby, NASA wrote, “[I]t’s time to update your Pluto stamp.”
The agency also requested a stamp to showcase its efforts to visit Mars, prompting the Postal Service to respond with a link to its site for stamp idea submissions. “There’s power in the pen,” USPS tweeted.
Altogether, the Postal Service’s messages have been retweeted more than 265 times, generating an estimated 418,000 views — along with positive feedback from customers.
During the discussion about a Mars mission stamp, one customer wrote, “I’d buy that one EVERY time I needed stamps if you had it (I don’t like online bill paying; USPS for me)!”