It’s another entry of Cosmic Cinema. Recently on the Apple+ network, a new series has popped up related to space. Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip, was an avid space flight supporter.
He even lent his talents to the development of a NASA award called the “Silver Snoopy”, a prestigious award given to less than 1% of the entire space workforce for efforts that they have completed in support of the manned space program. Each of these Silver Snoopy pins have the distinction of being flown on past manned spaceflights for NASA, adding to the award’s prestige.
Charles Schultz is not with us now, but his legacy has continued. One way is in this new program called “Snoopy In Space“. It was done in similar format to previous Charlie Brown and Peanuts-themed television specials but the difference was is that the entire series is dedicated to Snoopy‘s pursuit of going into space as a canine astronaut.
I found the short story segments very entertaining and very educational as well. Snoopy began his training at Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston which is the real training location of NASA astronauts.
Snoopy’s human friends, especially his owner Charlie Brown, were able to join in on Snoopy‘s quest for space. NASA hires the kids to work as mission-control operators to help Snoopy in several spacefaring adventures that include going to the International Space Station and on to the Moon. His best friend Woodstock and several of his yellow bird pals also join Snoopy in his space adventures.
Real life spacecraft including NASA’s giant SLS rocket, one of which I have personally worked on, are featured in the adventures. Other NASA location such as CapeCanaveral, the famed Vehicle Assembly Building, and others are featured.
Snoopy finds himself on many well known NASA missions, including orbital rocket flight and all the emotion and daring that go along with them.
Snoopy and Woodstock go to work on the International Space Station and perform all the experiments and missions that current astronauts have been doing there.
And finally, Snoopy and friends dream about going beyond the Moon to other planets one day.
This is another way that NASA has worked to help make space flight entertaining for children and possibly to inspire new generations to grow and take on STEM specific careers that could include space. I won’t speak too much about what’s in the stories other than what I’ve told, but I definitely give this series a very high rating and I believe even adults might find the stories engaging especially those who grew up loving the Peanuts comic and the televised cartoons.
For The Great Galactic Space Gimmick I’m Gimmick Commander Ben Faltinowski.
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DISCLAIMER: This article is a review of a Peanuts animated cartoon. Images used here are for discussion and review only, and the article was written for free. It is believed this constitutes fair use.