This US postal cover is
commemorating the launch of the NASA Space Shuttle STS-4 mission in 1982. The cover was postmarked on June 4, 1982 at
the at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
It has a nice cachet noting the launch, and the top-secret US military
cargo. The item has been autographed by
former US Defense Minister Caspar Weinberger and Thomas Walton, who was the NASA
Cargo Manager for the mission. The cover
is in great condition.
Caspar Willard Weinberger (1917 – 2006) was an American politician and businessman who served in a variety of state and federal positions for three decades as a Republican, most notably as Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1987. During the Iran–Contra investigation, he was indicted on charges of lying to Congress and obstructing government investigations but was pardoned by President George H. W. Bush before facing trial.