"Stimulant of man's poetic utterances, arbiter of his amours, assistance at his noctural activities and the dictator of his nauticle enterprises, the moon for all its familiarity always remained an engima." Fifteen years ago, talk of sending man to the moon would have been dismissed as sheer 'moon-shine', but today, such a fantastic voyage is not only technologically feasible; it has become a reality. On July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong took man's first, hesitant step on the moon surface, man's conquest of space has taken a novel turn and assumed greater significance.

That "one step for man" became "one giant leap for mankind". On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy addressing the Joint Session of the United States Congress set forth the goal saying, "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out of landing a man on the moon and returning with remarkable accuracy. Man's landing on the moon has climaxed the most productive decade in the history of technology.

The next 10 years should be just of fruitful. The exploration of the moon may further extend to other planets probably including Jupiter and Mercury. By 1980, scientists probably will have answered definitely the question whether there are life forms on Mars. Soviet Russia's attempt in putting a space platform is no mean achievement and will further facilitate man's conquest of space. The tasks performed by the astronauts on the moon will answer some of the questions about the earth's closest cousin. But already man has discovered that moon is geologically as complicated as earth.

The samples of rocks brought by the astronauts from the moon have been distributed to 142 scientists in 9 countries and by subjecting these priceless specimens to an unprecedented array of experiments, scientists hope to answer many of the questions man has pondered over centuries. Hardly has the excitement caused by the landing of astronauts on the moon through the Apollo II mission subsided, when the United States of America has launched another space probe for landing man on the moon. Apollo 12 spacecraft carrying astronauts Charles Conrad, Jr., Richard F. Gordon, Jr., and Alan L. Bean, is expected to land on the moon surface on November 19, 1969.

While complimenting the astronauts of Apollo II, Edwin Aldrin, Michael Collins and Neil Armstrong, the Indian P & T Department wishes to express its good wishes and appreciation for their achievement. At the same time, the Department wishes the astronauts of Apollo 12 a happy landing and safe return to the good old earth. In token of admiration of this memorable event, the P & T Department has great pleasure in issuing a commemorative stamp depicting 'Man on the Moon'.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India