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Snoopy and the Apollo 10 Gang Go to Space
October 1, 2012 02:34PM
By Andrew Cannizzaro
Apollo 10 astronauts Eugene Cernan, John Young, and Thomas Strafford holding a pennant adorned with a ready-for-space Snoopy. (Photo from Getty Images)
The producers at BIO.com review hundreds of photos of famous figures each week, from award-winning actors and popular singers, to headliners and scandal makers. While we're digging through these archives, we often come across amazing photos that we're just dying to share. So, without further ado, here's the one image that stands out to us this week:
On October 2nd, 1950, the first Peanuts cartoon strip created by Charles Schulz was published in newspapers. Just nineteen years later, Mr. Schulz's creations would leap from the ink of the Sunday morning funnies into the arms and hearts of the Apollo 10 astronauts.
On May 18th, 1969, the Apollo 10 spacecraft was launched on a lunar orbital mission that set the stage for the Apollo 11 moon landing just two months later. The Lunar Module on Apollo 10 was expected to come within 50,000 feet of the moon for a test run. Since they referred to this as "snooping around," the Lunar Module was code named Snoopy and would report back to the Command Module nicknamed Charlie Brown.
Even today Snoopy and the Gang remain intertwined with NASA. The agency gives out a Silver Snoopy Award to employees who've made considerable contributions toward its success.
struggle4progress
(118,352 posts)struggle4progress
(118,352 posts)skydive forever
(445 posts)standing in my backyard in Rockledge Fl, and watched that launch. It was like all launches I've seen, beautiful, but those Saturns were HUGE.
Diclotican
(5,095 posts)bananas
Snoopy my hero .. I have found memories from the reading of the Peanuts - or as they are known in Norway "Knøttene" And Snoopy was one of my heroes at that age .. The in fight he had with "the red baron" was legendary
Diclotican
OnyxCollie
(9,958 posts)She also had the Snoopy doll in the spacesuit. I wonder if she still has them.
drm604
(16,230 posts)I don't recall this particular photo, but I remember that the Lunar module was "Snoopy" and the command module was "Charlie Brown".
The space program was very much intertwined with pop culture in those days. I could be cynical and point out that that was because of massive government PR (it was part of the "hearts and minds" battle with the Soviets) but it certainly did have a grip on the young people of that time, myself included. The youth hated Nixon. The youth hated the war in Vietnam. The youth hated "the establishment". But many, though not all, loved NASA and the Apollo program. These were heroes who were risking their lives but weren't napalming villagers.
LongTomH
(8,636 posts)Ready4Change
(6,736 posts)During the Apollo missions (I'm not sure about missions before or after Apollo) the astronauts wore black and white caps covering their entire head under their helmets. These were to keep their communication gear in place, I think.
Because these caps were black on the sides and white on top they were called 'snoopy caps.' I thought that was the tie in between Snoopy and the Apollo missions?
bananas
(27,509 posts)Porn? In my lunar program?
Posted on May 19, 2012 by admin
<snip>
Journal Contributor Ulli Lotzmann had discussions with Ernie Reyes in mid-2000 about Snoopy's association with Apollo. Reyes was Chief of the Pre-Flight Operations Branch at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston during Apollo; and Lotzmann reports that Reyes, Wayne Stallard and others drew little cartoons on the daily schedules to make them more interesting. The Reyes Snoopy, who looks a little bit different to the Schultz-Snoopy as can be seen from examples in the Apollo 12cuff checklists, became popular with the Astronaut Corps. Because the cartoons were never intended for commercial publication, Reyes never asked Schultz for permission to use the character. After the Apollo 1 fire, Snoopy became the symbol of the revitalized NASA safety program.
<snip>
Getting back to the subject of the "Snoopy cap", in the Schulz comic strip, Snoopy often fantasized that he was a World War I flying ace and, while in that fantasy, wore a leather flying helmet. This and the fact that the Apollo Snoopy caps were dark-brown & white may explain why they were named "Snoopy" caps. Post-EVA photo A11-37-5528 is an excellent picture of a very pleased Neil Armstrong in full Snoopy regalia after the EVA. Journal Contributor Markus Mehring notes that the names "Snoopy" and "Charlie Brown" where also used for the Apollo 10 Command Module and Lunar Module, respectively. The Apollo 17 crew named a large crater in Snoopy's honor.
<snip>
Its a miracle that photographs of this stuff exist at all anymore, but hey, take a look. As you can imagine, things as redundant and boring as the checklist for putting on your space suit might need some humanization to keep it interesting. NASA being almost entirely male, its not surprising that they would find a way to put some boobs in their checklists (along with snoopy cartoons). Probably not NASAs finest moment, but when youre on track to put a man on the moon in less than a decade, youve got to give the organization some slack.
<snip>
drm604
(16,230 posts)bananas
(27,509 posts)bananas
(27,509 posts)Apollo 10 Commander Thomas Stafford pats the nose of Snoopy held by Jayme Flowers, Gordon Coopers' secretary, as the crew walk along the hallway to the transfer van for the trip to Launch Complex 39B for the start of the Apollo 10 lunar orbital mission.
Apollo 10 Commander Thomas Stafford hugs Snoopy (or Jayme) held by Jayme Flowers, Gordon Coopers' secretary, as the crew walk along the hallway to the transfer van for the trip to Launch Complex 39B for the start of the Apollo 10 lunar orbital mission.