PLUSH PIONEER On board the Artemis I moon test flight was an astronaut version of Charles Schulz’s famed beagle, Snoopy, the mission’s “zero-gravity indicator.” NASA photo
Beloved beagle trips to the moon and back
NASA flies with Charles Schulz’s WWI ace
By Zoey McGee | Manor Ink
Not only is he a flying ace, but Snoopy is also an astronaut. Charles Schulz’s beloved anthropomorphic beagle from the comic strip “Peanuts” recently arrived back from the trip of a lifetime. He was aboard NASA’s Artemis I, Orion spacecraft as their “zero-gravity indicator.”
ALL SYSTEMS GO The massive Artemis I rocket sits on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space center, prior to the launch of a successful unmanned trip to the moon and back. Diana Fredenburg photo
Artemis I was an uncrewed flight test providing a foundation for manned deep-space exploration, demonstrating and testing NASA’s capability to send humans back to the moon. It also served as preparation for eventually sending humans to Mars.
On Wednesday, Nov. 16, Artemis I launched from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida. During that time in space, the Orion spacecraft traveled 268,593 miles from earth, setting a new distance record, and splashed down on Dec. 11. The mission was successful, and Snoopy made it home safely.
Beagle in space, and much more
Snoopy, the zero gravity indicator, had the essential job of indicating when the spacecraft had reached the “weightlessness of microgravity.” The Snoopy plush toy aboard the mission was custom-made. He was dressed in an orange spacesuit made with material worn by the NASA astronauts, complete with gloves, boots and a NASA patch. How cute!
Riding with the Snoopy doll was some Peanuts memorabilia, including a pen nib from Charles Schulz’s studio wrapped in a comic strip. There were also many other non-”Peanuts” related items, like data collecting manikins, tributes to space history, 567 American flags, 90 Girl Scout Space Science badges, 500 Artemis Medallion gold seal stickers for certificates, a Dead Sea pebble, a small piece of moon rock, four Lego mini-figures, a sycamore tree seed, a Shaun the Sheep mascot, and much more! I know, most things on that list are pretty weird, but many have cultural significance or represent NASA’s collaboration with STEM-focused organizations.
As a well-known character, Snoopy has already been a big part of NASA, as he is the agency’s safety mascot and has had a lunar module named after him. NASA also created the “Silver Snoopy Award” during the Apollo era, a high honor given to employees or contractors for their achievements in helping missions succeed or promoting human flight safety. Each of the Silver Snoopy pins awarded has flown in space. So to continue the tradition, Artemis I carried a collection of 245 pins for future reward recipients.
We are all ecstatic for Snoopy and NASA as they do new, amazing things every day! To learn more and get updates, visit nasa.gov/artemis-1.