Uncommon commemorative cover with a color cachet of the Skylab Medical Experiment Altitude Test (SMEAT) insignia postmarked in Houston, Texas, on July 26 and September 20, 1972, the full 56-day period for the SMEAT experiment, signed in black ink or ballpoint by crew members Bob Crippen, Karol Bobko, and William Thornton. In very fine condition. The insignia design of Snoopy in his Flying Ace uniform with a rope around his neck was, according to Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, a reference to the mission being a ‘grounded’ simulation. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from Zarelli Space Authentication.
SMEAT was a 56-day simulation of an American Skylab space mission from July 26th to September 19th, 1972, at NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas. The three test astronauts simulated space experiments, housekeeping, and leisure activities in a hypobaric chamber. SMEAT provided a baseline for the in-orbit portion of biomedical experiments on Skylab.
