Snoopy’s been a lot of places, but the coolest has to have been space. Yes, that space.
In May 1969, NASA launched the Apollo 10 mission and sent Peanuts into space: Because the mission required the lunar module to skim the moon’s surface within 50,000 feet and “snoop around” to scout a site for the upcoming Apollo 11 moon-landing, the crew named the lunar module “Snoopy.” (Naturally, the Apollo command module was labeled “Charlie Brown.”)
To commemorate the 50th anniversary, Peanuts Worldwide and NASA are serving up a spaceload (yes, I am aware of how corny I am, thank you very much!) of events and activities.
Yesterday, Charles Schulz’ widow, Jeannie Schulz, attended events at Space Center Houston and Johnson Space Center, including the unveiling of an intergalactic image of Schulz’ characters wrapped around an 18-inch by 15-inch ISS Module, created by acclaimed artist and space buff Kenny Scharf, a member of the elite Peanuts Global Artist Collective, and more.
Check out the full schedule below!
Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10
Director Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor), Imagine Documentaries, and Peanuts partnered on Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10. Starring Ron Howard as himself and Jeff Goldblum as a self-published NASA historian, Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10 takes an affectionate, light-hearted look at NASA and Charles Schulz’s beloved Peanuts characters.
Written by Aaron Bergeron, the doc will be available next month on the Apple TV app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.
Charles M. Schulz Museum, Santa Rosa, California
Visitors to the museum during from May through December will enjoy a mini-installation, featuring:
- Rare NASA posters with Snoopy as the Safety Mascot;
- Photos of the Snoopy/Charlie Brown banners carried by the Apollo 10 astronauts used to calibrate the camera settings for the first live, color telecasts from space;
- Snapshots of the Snoopy plush and Peanuts figurines that greeted or accompanied the Apollo 10 crew on their mission; and
- Memorabilia, including vintage toys, Schulz’s personal Silver Snoopy Award, and the comic strip in which Snoopy celebrates beating the Russians (and the Cat Next Door) to the Moon!
London Space Museum
From May 25–26, Peanuts fans can view the Charlie Brown command module, which is on indefinite loan from the Smithsonian. Plus, family festivals will feature appearances by the Astronaut Snoopy himself.
U.S. Elementary Schools
Throughout the rest of the year, kids in elementary schools across the U.S. will have access to Peanuts-inspired, standards-aligned materials sanctioned by the educational experts at NASA. Using everyday items, kids will:
- Design and build a lunar rover;
- Engineer a parachute that can safely land a spacecraft (or, in this case, a hard-boiled egg); and
- Research life on Mars and write their own story about Snoopy’s journey to the Red Planet.
Also, kids can nominate a classmate for a “mock” Silver Snoopy Award.
Photos: Peanuts
