The historic test occurred on June 8, 1959, when a Regulus I cruise missile launched from the submarine USS Barbero traveled roughly 100 miles to a naval air station in Mayport, Florida. Inside the weapon's warhead compartment, technicians installed two red and blue metal containers marked "US Mail" to protect the cargo during the 22-minute flight. US Postmaster General Arthur Summerfield enthusiastically promoted the achievement, predicting that missiles would soon carry mail worldwide before humanity reached the Moon. However, the system proved impractical for regular operations and was never adopted for standard postal service.
Key points
The 1959 demonstration successfully proved that submarine-launched military missiles coul…: The 1959 demonstration successfully proved that submarine-launched military missiles could accurately deliver civilian payloads over long distances.
Postal leadership envisioned using guided missiles for rapid international mail routes to…: Postal leadership envisioned using guided missiles for rapid international mail routes to destinations such as Britain, India, and Australia.
The high-speed missile concept never transitioned into a regular mail delivery method des…: The high-speed missile concept never transitioned into a regular mail delivery method despite the technical success of the initial flight.
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On a June morning in 1959, a US Navy submarine became an unusual starting point for a postal delivery. Instead of loading its mail onto an aircraft or a conventional transport vehicle, the Navy placed thousands of letters inside a guided missile and launched it towards Florida. The journey took just 22 minutes as reported by Smithsonian National Postal Museum. The operation involved the USS Barbero, a Regulus I cruise missile and 3,000 pieces of mail intended for delivery at a naval air station near Jacksonville. It was presented as a demonstration of how military technology might serve a civilian purpose. Yet the experiment, despite attracting considerable attention, never developed into a regular method of transporting mail.
How a US Navy submarine launched a missile carrying 3,000 letters
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