Snoopy in Space Has Spanned the Decades

For more than 50 years, the beloved Charles Schulz cartoon character has served as NASA's mascot of the manned spaceflight program.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, August 02, 2024 at 12:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

Snoopy returns from the Artemis I mission. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

Snoopy transitioned from a cartoon character with aviation fantasies to a significant NASA mascot in 1968, symbolizing safety and public engagement, with his image and even toys flying on missions from Apollo to Artemis.
NASA established the prestigious "Silver Snoopy Award," a lapel pin flown in space, given to employees for exceptional contributions to human spaceflight safety and mission success.
Beyond space, Charles M. Schulz's legacy is honored in terrestrial aviation through the Sonoma County Airport, which bears his name, features Snoopy in its logo, and uses Peanuts-themed names for navigational fixes.

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What’s a Snoopy doll doing in the gift shop at an aviation museum? These days, he’s generating interest in the space program.

By the time the first manned moon landing took place on July 20, 1969, Charles Schulz had already sent Snoopy into space in the panels of the cartoon. The anthropomorphic dog had a rich fantasy life, and adventure and aviation was part of it. He often donned a cloth flying helmet and red scarf and turned his doghouse into a Sopwith Camel.