Not Astronauts, NASA Takes Snoopy Dolls To The Moon On The Artemis I Mission

NASA will be carrying the Orion spacecraft flying around the Moon carrying abucustom doll. (PHOTO Tl tangakapn NASA/Citra)

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JAKARTA - In the coming weeks, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft will fly around the Moon as part of the Artemis I Moon mission.

Snoopy began collaborating a decade after NASA was formed, and continues to this day. So no wonder, the popular dog cartoon character will ride Orion around the Moon in November.

In a video uploaded by NASA, they explain why Snoopy will board Orion as it flies around the Moon and return to Earth, six weeks after launch.

NASA explained, the cartoon character of the dog will act as a zero-g indicator on the SLS rocket's maiden flight while it is in progress. Each rocket with a crew capsule has a zero-g indicator, usually, crew members will bring their favorite toy.

It is useful for determining when astronauts and spacecraft reach a weightless state after leaving Earth's atmosphere shortly after launch.

It is known, Snoopy will fly around the Moon alone because Artemis I do not have a crew, but the camera in the capsule will keep an eye on Snoopy to see when he will float, it shows that Orion is free from the gravitational pull of the Earth.

Snoopy will be wearing an elaborately designed spacesuit, made from the same materials used in clothing as NASA astronauts.

As information quoted from Digital Trends, Thursday, October 6, Snoopy's first flight into space was in 1990, on the STS-32 mission.

Finally, taking Snoopy into space is also part of education, where the character is expected to inspire children to learn more about the space agency's efforts, be interested in science and learn techniques to become future explorers.