NASA Group 8

NASA Astronaut Group 8 was a group of 35 astronauts announced on January 16, 1978. It was the first NASA selection since Group 6 in 1967, and was the largest group to that date. The class was the first to include female and non-white astronauts; of the 35 selected, six were women, three were African American, and one was Asian American.

A scarce pair of postal covers, both 7.5" x 3.75", both postmarked at the Kennedy Space Center on April 12, 1981, the launch date of the STS-1 mission, with the covers featuring ink or felt tip signatures of the 35 astronaut candidates selected as part of NASA group eight in 1978, including: Ron McNair (who signs both covers), Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Sally Ride, Rhea Seddon, Dan Brandenstein, Michael Coats, Dick Covey, John Creighton, Robert Gibson, Frederick D. Gregory, Frederick Hauck, Jon McBride, Dick Scobee, Brewster Shaw, Loren Shriver, David Walker, Donald Williams, Guion Bluford, James Buchli, John Fabian, Anna Fisher, Dale Gardner, S. David Griggs, Terry Hart, Steven Hawley, Jeffrey Hoffman, Shannon Lucid, Richard Mullane, Steven Nagel, George Nelson, Robert Stewart, Kathryn D. Sullivan, Norman Thagard, and James van Hoften. 

Both covers in fine condition.