U.S. #1331 is part of a set of two stamps celebrating space achievements. Issued in conjunction with NASA's 9th anniversary, the design on these stamps features an astronaut in space with his capsule. Originally issued attached, both designs celebrate the accomplishments of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The astronaut shown is Ed White, the first American astronaut to perform a spacewalk. White and two other astronauts died earlier in 1967 (the year this stamp was issued) when the Apollo I space capsule caught fire on the launching pad. White’s famous spacewalk occurred on June 3, 1965.