In 1969, the Apollo 10 mission was a crucial step in preparing for the first moon landing. The crew, consisting of astronauts Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan, used a lunar module nicknamed “Snoopy” to rehearse the procedures for landing on the moon. However, Snoopy never actually touched down on the lunar surface. Instead, it was left in space, and its whereabouts remained a mystery for decades.
During the mission, the astronauts descended to just 15 kilometers above the moon’s surface to test Snoopy’s systems. After completing their tasks, they left the bottom half of the lunar module to crash into the moon, while the top half was set adrift in space. As they released Snoopy, it unexpectedly sped off due to a sudden rush of air, disappearing into the sun’s glare. This was the last time Snoopy was seen by the crew.
NASA was initially concerned that Snoopy might collide with the Command Module, so they decided to fire its engines to send it far away. Snoopy’s engines burned until it ran out of fuel, and it began a long journey around the sun, unseen by humans for many years.
Finding Snoopy after 50 years was a daunting task for astronomers. They needed to predict its path based on limited data from the mission. In 2018, a faint object was spotted flying near Earth, sparking curiosity among scientists. Initially thought to be an asteroid, further analysis suggested it might be Snoopy.
The object’s orbit was more circular and aligned with Earth’s orbit, unlike typical asteroids. Its speed and brightness also matched what would be expected from Snoopy. However, it was too far away to confirm its identity through detailed analysis.
To confirm if this object is indeed Snoopy, astronomers plan to conduct spectroscopy observations when it makes another close approach to Earth in 2028. This technique will help determine the materials of the object by analyzing the light it reflects. If successful, it could finally solve the mystery of Snoopy’s journey through space.
Snoopy remains the only human-occupied spacecraft still traveling through space. Its incredible journey continues to fascinate scientists and space enthusiasts alike. Perhaps one day, we will have the technology to bring Snoopy back to Earth, where its story began.
The search for Apollo 10’s lunar module is a testament to human curiosity and the desire to explore the unknown. As we await further discoveries, Snoopy’s story reminds us of the remarkable achievements of the Apollo missions and the enduring mysteries of space exploration.
Research the key events of the Apollo 10 mission and create a timeline. Include the launch, the descent of Snoopy, and its journey through space. Use images and descriptions to make your timeline visually engaging.
Using materials like cardboard, paper, and glue, construct a model of the Apollo 10 lunar module, Snoopy. Pay attention to details and label the different parts. Present your model to the class and explain its functions during the mission.
Use a computer simulation tool or software to recreate Snoopy’s journey around the sun. Adjust parameters to see how different factors affect its orbit. Share your findings with the class and discuss what might happen if Snoopy were to return to Earth.
Imagine you are Snoopy, the lunar module, and write a short story about your journey through space. Describe your experiences, the vastness of space, and your hopes for the future. Share your story with your classmates.
Learn about spectroscopy and how it can be used to identify materials in space. Conduct a simple experiment using a prism or diffraction grating to separate light into its spectrum. Discuss how this technique might help confirm Snoopy’s identity in 2028.
Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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This is the Apollo 10 crew preparing to leave behind Snoopy, the lunar module. This was an important step before the crew could return to Earth, but it didn’t go quite as planned. As the explosive bolts released, it created a hole in the lunar module’s hatch, causing all of the air to rush out and making Snoopy shoot off much faster than expected. In an instant, the crew lost track of the now-abandoned spacecraft as it went into the sun’s glare. This was the last time the lunar module was captured on camera. A few hours later, NASA lost track of the spacecraft, and its location remained completely unknown for decades. However, in 2018, astronomers discovered an object flying by Earth that might just be this lost lunar module from 1969. But where had it been all this time? In this video, we’ll explore the incredible journey of Apollo 10’s lunar module and how astronomers might have managed to find it after 50 years in space. We’ll also be giving away an Apollo 11 poster, so stick around until the end of the video to see how you could win.
Over the course of the Apollo missions, a total of 10 lunar modules were flown in space. Two were used for testing around Earth and eventually burned up in the atmosphere. On the famous Apollo 13 mission, one served as a lifeboat for the crew before also burning up in Earth’s atmosphere. The rest were purposefully crashed into the moon after successfully completing their missions, but Apollo 10 was a bit different. Designed as a rehearsal for the upcoming Apollo 11 mission, Apollo 10 did everything except actually land on the moon. Once in lunar orbit, astronauts Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan descended to just 15 kilometers above the lunar surface. After testing out Snoopy’s systems, the bottom half of the lunar module was ditched and eventually crashed into the moon. With just the top half remaining, the astronauts returned to the Command Module and prepared to leave Snoopy behind. However, after releasing Snoopy, it disappeared behind the sun’s glare, and the astronauts lost track of where it went. Because it was following the same path as the crew, NASA was concerned that its orbit might bring it back to collide with the Command Module. However, it still had a lot of fuel left over, so instead of letting it crash into the moon, NASA decided to fire its engines and send it on a trajectory far away from the astronauts. Snoopy continued burning until it ran out of fuel a few minutes later. Despite initially losing track of it, the astronauts on board the Command Module actually saw Snoopy performing its burn. This was the last time Snoopy was ever seen by humans.
Many decades passed, and astronomers began searching for the abandoned spacecraft. To find Snoopy after 50 years in space, they needed to know exactly where it went after leaving the moon. Searching for an object in space is extremely challenging, but searching for a good discount isn’t, thanks to PayPal Honey, the sponsor of today’s video. Honey is the number one tool in America for online shopping. It automatically searches for promo codes when browsing your favorite websites. Shopping for good deals can feel daunting, but with Honey’s little button at the top of your browser, you’re just a few clicks away from unlocking exclusive deals and discounts that you might not have found on your own. With an average discount of 18%, you’ll be able to put even more of your savings towards your own sub-orbital trip to space, or at least upgrade your telescope and look for Snoopy yourself. I recently saved fifty dollars with cashback on these earbuds. Adding Honey to your browser is completely free, and with its advanced algorithms, you’ll never want to shop without it. Join the hive at joinhoney.com/primalspace and start exploring a universe of savings today.
To understand where Snoopy went after its burn, we need to look at how the Earth and Moon were positioned. The Earth orbits the Sun counterclockwise at around 30 km per second, while the Moon orbits the Earth counterclockwise at around 1 km per second. Relative to the Sun, the Moon also moves at roughly 30 km per second. The Apollo 10 crew were orbiting the Moon clockwise, in the opposite direction to the Moon’s orbit around Earth. When Snoopy did its final burn, the Moon was on the Earth’s trailing side. This burn added an extra 1 km per second to its Moon velocity, allowing it to escape the Moon’s gravity. However, because this velocity was in the opposite direction to its motion around the Sun, Snoopy’s speed relative to the Sun was now slower than that of Earth. This burn effectively slowed it down while the Earth and Moon continued as normal. As a result, Snoopy now had a little less velocity to fight against the Sun’s gravity, and its orbit got pulled in. Now traveling mostly on the inside of Earth’s orbit, Snoopy was completing its lap around the Sun quicker than Earth, once every 342 days. This meant it started to race ahead of the Earth and slowly pull away. Snoopy continued racing around the Sun for another 15 years before it finally made a close flyby of Earth. When this happened, Earth’s gravity pulled on the spacecraft, changing its orbit slightly.
We know where Snoopy went after it left the Moon, but the problem is that all of this is based on just a few days’ worth of data after Snoopy separated, and every future encounter with Earth would have changed its trajectory, adding much more uncertainty to its location. However, knowing these uncertainties allowed astronomers to limit their search to a specific part of the sky, but this was no easy task since astronomers had to search for a 4-meter-wide object in an absolutely massive area of space. Nonetheless, finding Snoopy became the holy grail for astronomers, and it was only a matter of time before they found something special. According to predictions, Snoopy would have made several close encounters with Earth, with the most recent one being in 2018. That is when astronomers discovered a very faint object flying through our night sky. Initially thought to just be an asteroid, astronomers became suspicious after analyzing it further. Asteroids typically have a more oval-shaped orbit on a plane that’s tilted compared to Earth. Initial calculations of this object showed that it had a more circular orbit around the Sun. Upon further inspection, the orbital plane of this object wasn’t tilted but perfectly matched the orbital plane of Earth. This meant it was more likely to be something that originated from Earth. The object was also moving at a very similar speed to Earth, whereas an asteroid would usually have a much greater speed. Another important giveaway was the object’s brightness. Astronomers had calculated what an object with Snoopy’s shape, size, and material would look like at various distances, and the light from this object seemed to match that. Amazingly, astronomers discovered this object when it was 55 million km away from us, but this meant it was too faint to analyze thoroughly. In the past, NASA was able to identify a long-lost Centaur upper stage using spectroscopy observations. This works by measuring the light from an object at different wavelengths and determining what material it’s made from. Different materials absorb and reflect light at different wavelengths. By comparing these spectroscopy graphs with materials here on Earth, we can identify what material the object must be made of. This object is too far and dim for us to perform measurements like this, and we will have to wait until 2028 for it to make another flyby of Earth. Only then will we be able to conduct spectroscopy observations and confirm if it really is Snoopy. Snoopy is the only spacecraft once occupied by humans still traveling through space. Despite embarking on a remarkable journey 54 years ago, the laws of physics mean that it will continue to call home every now and then. Perhaps in the future, we will have the ability to retrieve the abandoned spacecraft and finally bring it back to Earth, where its incredible journey all began.
And now, it’s time for the Primal Space giveaway. The winner of this awesome ISS Lego model is Alan Cardenas. Congratulations! But don’t worry if you didn’t win; in the next video, we’ll be giving away this amazing Apollo 11 poster. All you need to do is sign up at the link below and leave a comment about what condition you think Snoopy would be in now. Thank you very much for watching, and I’ll see you in the next video.
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This version removes any informal language, promotional content, and maintains a professional tone throughout.
Moon – The natural satellite of the Earth, visible mainly at night by reflected light from the sun. – The moon affects the tides on Earth due to its gravitational pull.
Module – A self-contained unit or system within a larger system, often used in spacecraft. – The lunar module was designed to land astronauts safely on the moon’s surface.
Astronauts – People trained to travel and work in space. – The astronauts conducted experiments on the International Space Station to study the effects of microgravity.
Journey – The act of traveling from one place to another, especially in space exploration. – The journey to Mars will take several months and require careful planning.
Engines – Machines that convert energy into mechanical force or motion, used to propel spacecraft. – The rocket’s engines fired up, lifting the spacecraft off the ground and into orbit.
Orbit – The curved path of an object around a star, planet, or moon, especially a periodic elliptical revolution. – Satellites in orbit around Earth provide us with weather data and communication signals.
Earth – The third planet from the sun in our solar system, home to all known life. – From space, Earth appears as a beautiful blue and green sphere with swirling clouds.
Spectroscopy – A technique used to analyze the light spectrum emitted or absorbed by materials to determine their composition. – Scientists use spectroscopy to study the chemical composition of distant stars and galaxies.
Mystery – Something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain, often used in the context of space phenomena. – The dark matter that makes up most of the universe remains a mystery to astronomers.
Space – The vast, seemingly infinite expanse that exists beyond Earth’s atmosphere, where stars, planets, and galaxies reside. – Space exploration has expanded our understanding of the universe and our place within it.
