A stamp that traveled more than 3 billion miles on a NASA probe has set a Guinness world record for the farthest distance traveled by a postage stamp.
USPS issued the 29-cent Pluto: Not Yet Explored stamp in 1991. The stamp inspired NASA, which affixed the stamp to the New Horizons spacecraft before its launch in 2006.
New Horizons arrived at Pluto last year when the spacecraft flew by the dwarf planet.
“Employees at NASA and the Postal Service can take pride in what these accomplishments represent for our organizations and for our country,” said Chief Marketing and Sales Officer Jim Cochrane.
Guinness officials visited USPS headquarters July 19 to present Cochrane and NASA leaders with a certificate to mark the achievement.
“The New Horizons mission to Pluto is not only writing space history, it’s setting a high bar for achievements beyond its many science discoveries,” said Jim Green, NASA’s director of planetary science.
The stamp’s record is expected to extend another 1 billion miles in the coming weeks when New Horizons visits an object that is considered one of the solar system’s building blocks.
USPS commemorated the mission in May by issuing the Pluto — Explored! stamp.
