Astronaut Card Game, Pepys Series
First Published: 1961, Pepys Series by Castell Brothers Ltd., St. Cross Street, London
Illustrator or Designer: Not credited
Contents: 44 Cards + Rules Booklet
There are 4 identical cards for each of 7 Stage cards, 4 Substitute Stage cards, marked SUB, 2 Reserve Astronaut cards marked RES, 2 ILL cards, 3 DELAY cards and unusually 5 "General Interest" cards.
Astronaut cards: The 7 Stage cards, The Astronaut, Undergoing Tests, Approaching The Elevator, In The Capsule Ready For Take-Off, The Take-Off, Boosters Drop Away, Landing on the Moon.
Astronaut cards: 4 Substitute Stage cards - Telstar (U.S.A.), Vostaok (U.S.S.R.), Mercury (U.S.A.), Sputnik (U.S.S.R.) 2 Reserve Astronaut cards marked RES, 2 ILL cards, 1 of 3 DELAY cards - Count Down Delay.
Astronaut cards: 2 remaining Delay cards - Computor Check and Bad Weather. 5 "General Interest" cards - Capsule Recovery, Parachute Capsule, Goonhilly Down Receiving Station, Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope, The Moon.
The cards are described on the back of the box as being "accurate pictures of space travel". One Delay card is labelled "Computor Check" and depicts an engineer in dungarees, with an open toolbox beside him, using a large screwdriver on a metal cabinet as two colleagues watch him at work.
Astronaut was first published in 1961 during a key period in the Space Race. In April 1961 Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space, orbiting the earth once. In May the same year Alan Shepard became the first American in space and later in the same month President Kennedy announced his goal to put a man on the Moon before the end of the decade.
Game & Version Details
 | Astronaut - Card Back |
 | Astronaut - Rules Front |
 | Astronaut - Rules Back Games advertised: Speed 8th Ed. The Car Game Trains |
 | Astronaut - Box Back |
 | Astronaut - Box Top |
 | Astronaut - Box Side Left |
 | Astronaut - Box Base Envelope style |
 | Astronaut - Box Side Right |
 | Astronaut - Box Back With Flap |