NASA’s historic mission around the Moon, Artemis I, could begin on August 29. There will be no people on board, but many objects, including mannequins and the stop-motion TV animation character Shaun the Sheep. Recently, NASA announced the contents of its Official Flight Kit, a cultural and educational “time capsule” that will be contained within the Orion spacecraft as it reaches the Moon.
“Many of the items found in the flight set are symbols of cultural significance or represent NASA’s joint efforts with STEM-focused organizations,” NASA said in a statement.
There are some remarkable items among these objects weighing a total of 54 kilograms. A small piece of Moonstone from the Apollo 11 mission is also included in the group. Since the same stone was also found on the last space shuttle flight, we can say that he is more familiar with the journey than many other people and objects.
A patch and a bolt from Apollo 11 will also help illustrate the connection of the Apollo legacy to the Artemis program.
You can browse the full list of Official Flight Kits via this PDF link. Many patches, flags and pins are on the list, including 245 silver Snoopy pins. NASA has a long association with the Peanuts comics brought to life by Charles Schulz, and especially with the dog character Snoopy. These silver pins are used by NASA astronauts as a mark of prestige given to deserving aviation workers for “contributing to outstanding performance, flight safety and mission success.”
In keeping with the Peanuts theme, Artemis I also carries a pen tip used by Schulz to the Moon. Other fun items in the kit include four Lego minifigures, a 3D-printed statue of the Greek goddess Artemis, assorted tree and plant seeds, and a pebble mined from the Dead Sea.
Artemis I is seen as the first major step in NASA’s efforts to transport humanity back to the Moon’s surface and eventually establish a longer-term presence on our satellite neighbor.
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