The world of cartooning briefly intersected with space program. This article was originally published January 3, 2000, a month before Schulz’s death. If you happen to be in Santa Rosa, CA before July 20th check out The Charles M. Schulz Museum which is hosting an exhibit called “To The Moon: Snoopy Soars with NASA.”
Snoopy fans take note: the celebrated flying ace isn’t going to retire his aviator’s wings when Charles Schulz ends the daily Peanuts comic strip this week. The unofficial mascot of NASA for over three decades will continue his association.
The beloved beagle first won fame battling the Red Baron aboard the Sopwith Camel. In 1968, he began his historic collaboration with the space program to promote safety awareness.
At the time, NASA had 200,000 workers engaged in the Apollo moon landings. The space agency realized it needed a respected and universally loved symbol to keep spirits high. Schulz, a space buff, was happy to help out. It wasn’t long before Snoopy’s engaging smile was appearing on stickers and posters encouraging workers to “Keep Apollo the Symbol of Excellence.”
NASA’s gambit was a hit with workers. “Snoopy Given Credit for Apollo Success” read a headline the Oklahoma City Times in 1969.
Inspired by the goodwill that Snoopy’s role engendered, NASA’s top brass decided to pay tribute to the affable pooch and his owner Charlie Brown during the Apollo 10 mission in May 1969.
Utilizing the code names “Charlie Brown” for the Command Capsule and “Snoopy” for the Lunar Module, Apollo 10 was an elaborate full dress rehearsal for the historic lunar landing of Apollo 11 two months later, executing all the maneuvers of that mission except the moon landing itself.
Commander of the mission Thomas P. Stafford, explained why Snoopy was being honored. “We’re going to the moon to find out all these facts and kind of snoop around,” Stafford jested, “(That’s why) the lunar module’s going to be called Snoopy.”
The crew of the mission—Stafford (seen holding Snoopy, right) John W. Young, and Eugene A. Cernan—were happy to embrace their cartoon counterparts. “We are just like everyone anyone else,” Cernan told a reporter. “We are human beings and we like (Snoopy), too.”
As might be expected, the code names provided some moments of levity during the mission. One slightly surreal exchange went as follows
CAPCOM: “Snoopy-Charlie—this is Houston. Good readback, Snoopy, over.”
SNOOPY: “Houston, this is Snoopy. Charlie Brown’s trying to call you.”
Several months after Apollo 10, when Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon, Snoopy appeared in Schulz’s daily Peanut strip declaring “I did it! I’m the first beagle on the moon!”
The fruitful association between Schulz and the space agency continued after Apollo. When a stuffed Snoopy found its way on shuttle flight in 1990, mission commander Dan C. Brandenstein simply explained: “We had trained with Snoopy so it made sense to take him with us.”
Despite the retirement of the daily Peanuts comic strip, the intrepid beagle’s winning attitude remains a symbol of excellence at NASA.
Officials at the space agency maintain there is no plan to discontinue “The Silver Snoopy”—presented to employees who have made extraordinary contributions to space travel.
The highly coveted pin, bearing the likeness of the heroic beagle, will remain a lasting tribute to Snoopy’s legacy in space.
