Saturday, October 12, 2024
Contact    |    RSS icon Twitter icon Facebook icon  
Unexplained Mysteries
You are viewing: Home > News > Space & Astronomy > News story
Welcome Guest ( Login or Register )  
All ▾
Search Submit

Space & Astronomy

Long-lost 'Snoopy' lunar lander finally found

By T.K. Randall
June 13, 2019 · Comment icon 3 comments

Snoopy has been missing for decades. Image Credit: NASA
The lunar module that was used during the Apollo 10 Moon mission has been lost in space for over 50 years.
Named 'Snoopy' after the famous dog of Charles Schulz' Peanuts comic strip, the Apollo 10 lunar lander didn't actually touch down on the lunar surface but it did come very close.

The mission itself, which saw Eugene Cernan, John Young and Thomas Stafford blast off from the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 18th 1969, was essentially a 'dress rehearsal' for Apollo 11 which saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the Moon a mere two months later.

After the Apollo 10 crew returned to the command module, 'Snoopy' was released and sent in to orbit around the Sun, however no efforts were made beyond that point to keep track of its whereabouts.

As a result, the module quickly disappeared and astronomers have been searching for it ever since.
Now though, 50 years on, a group of amateur astronomers from the UK believe that they have finally discovered the missing module with a 98% degree of certainty.

"We are relatively confident," said astronomer Nick Howes.

"The heliocentric orbit looks good, the object is artificial, and the size is right."

Until more detailed observations can be carried out however it will be difficult to know for sure.

Source: Universe Today | Comments (3)




Other news and articles
Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #1 Posted by EBE Hybrid 5 years ago
Fifty years ago this July, the United States put a man on the moon, effectively ending the Space Race and owning one of the most historic events in human history. The efforts that went into making the Moon landing possible were myriad and took years to complete. Now, one piece of gear used in the race⁠—a relic astronomers have been searching for since they sent it to space five decades ago—may have finally been found. The "Snoopy" lunar module was part of the Apollo 10 mock mission that ended with the module being launched into space, where it has been floating aimlessly ever since. http... [More]
Comment icon #2 Posted by TripGun 5 years ago
We peaked
Comment icon #3 Posted by qxcontinuum 5 years ago
So there are "UFO's" out there in space !


Please Login or Register to post a comment.


Our new book is out now!
Book cover

The Unexplained Mysteries
Book of Weird News

 AVAILABLE NOW 

Take a walk on the weird side with this compilation of some of the weirdest stories ever to grace the pages of a newspaper.

Click here to learn more

We need your help!
Patreon logo

Support us on Patreon

 BONUS CONTENT 

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can gain access to a wide range of exclusive perks including our popular 'Lost Ghost Stories' series.

Click here to learn more

Top 10 trending mysteries
Recent news and articles