Commemorative David Bowie stamps launched into space
If there really is life on Mars, maybe the planet’s inhabitants were able to see a recent tribute to a man who was once the Earth’s foremost outer space ambassador: On Monday, the Royal Mail sent 52 sets of stamps commemorating David Bowie into the stratosphere on helium balloons. Each set contained 10 stamps, emblazoned with the covers of Bowie’s most famous albums. The balloon trick itself was inspired by Bowie’s role in the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth, where he played an alien who travels to Earth via spaceship.
The stamps were launched skywards on Monday; once the balloons burst, they are expected to fall back to Earth Tuesday. Fans who correctly guess where the stamps land have the chance to win a commemorative set. But even if they’re not good guessers, it’s still fun to watch the journey of the stamps (bearing iconic Bowie images like the cover of Aladdin Sane), which were affixed with cameras to record their big trip.
The Bowie stamps were originally created to honor the one-year anniversary of Bowie’s death from cancer last year at age 69. Read EW’s report here on the making of his final album, Blackstar.
