Orbit of the Astérix A1 Satellite

Engraved by Jean Miermont (following Durrens' layout), this vertical airmail commemorative captures the historic trajectory of France's first indigenous satellite, the Astérix A1, spinning in a stable low Earth orbit against a deep stellar field. The technical vignette meticulously documents the payload's distinct conical-cylindrical configuration, highlighting its metallic structural casing and four extended whip antennae slicing through space. Historically, this issue documents the successful November 26, 1965 launch aboard the Diamant rocket from the Sahara, which established the French space agency (CNES) as a major sovereign orbital explorer. The piece archives the global transition into the satellite communications age, bridging metropolitan France's high-technology triumphs directly with the administrative branding of its overseas territories.