 | Patsy Terrell is public relations and events coordinator of The Kansas Cosmosphere, located at 1100 N. Plum in Hutchinson. The Cosmosphere’s mission is to honor the past and inspire the future of space exploration. They provide information, education and entertainment with regard to science. You can contact Pasty by phone at 620-662-6305; by email at patsyt@cosmo.org or at The Kansas Cosmosphere, 1100 N. Plum, Hutchinson, KS 67501. |
Science
2011-01-01 10:18:00
Snoopy on the moon?
Question: It is interesting how pop culture often mirrors more about what’s happening in our world than even the evening news shows and/or reports. I think I recall how Snoopy, in some way, was connected with our landing on the moon. Can you fill in the blanks?
Answer: I would be happy to. Snoopy has a long history with the space program.
Snoopy was the first beagle to land on the moon, and beat Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin by a few months. Charles Schulz, who was a big fan of the space program, put Snoopy, the “World Famous Astronaut,” on the moon in the “Peanuts” comic strip that ran the week of March 10, 1969.
Even before that Snoopy was working behind the scenes. NASA approached Schulz in 1968, with a request to use Snoopy to encourage safety among its employees and contractors. NASA constantly reminded workers they held the astronauts lives in their hands with everything they touched. NASA was granted permission, as long as Schulz drew Snoopy on all NASA related material and a copyright notice appeared with him. Schulz liked the idea of Snoopy “moonlighting” since he was already a flier.
Snoopy’s first appearances were on posters promoting safety awareness. But, his role grew quickly and before long Snoopy dolls with space helmets were in production. One of the most coveted awards at NASA is the Silver Snoopy. It’s a lapel pin, drawn by Schulz, that recognizes safety, and proved to be a big hit with astronauts and employees. Silver Snoopy pins have flown on every mission since Apollo 10. When brought back to Earth, they are awarded by the astronauts themselves to people they personally believe have contributed significantly to their missions. Less than 1% of the NASA workforce receives one, and each person can receive only one in a lifetime.
In May of 1969, Apollo 10 was the “dress rehearsal” mission for landing on the moon in July of that year. Snoopy and his owner, Charlie Brown, were honored by having the Apollo 10 spacecraft named after them. Astronauts Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan piloted “Snoopy” within 50,000 feet of the lunar surface while they scouted the landing area for Apollo 11. John Young orbited the moon in the command module, “Charlie Brown.”
Snoopy’s space flights, both those real and imagined, are celebrated in “To the Moon: Snoopy Soars with NASA”, an exhibit that began opening across the country more than two years ago. It examines the history of Apollo 10 and the Peanuts characters roles in that flight, and in the overall safety awareness program. “To the Moon: Snoopy Soars with NASA” tells the story of how this beagle became a watchdog.
Snoopy has been on the job at NASA for more than 40-years. He has flown on every mission since Apollo 10, including the most recent shuttle flight.
