# Snoopy

> Lunar Module used during Apollo 10

**Wikidata**: [Q28101424](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28101424)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/snoopy

## Summary
Snoopy is the Lunar Module used during NASA's Apollo 10 mission in 1969. It was part of the dress rehearsal for the first Moon landing, descending to within 8.4 nautical miles of the lunar surface. Named after the Peanuts cartoon character, Snoopy was the fourth Apollo Lunar Module built by Grumman.

## Key Facts
- **Mission**: Apollo 10 (May 18–26, 1969) - final test flight before Apollo 11's Moon landing  
- **Call sign**: Named "Snoopy" (Command Module was "Charlie Brown")  
- **Manufacturer**: Built by Grumman as Lunar Module 4 (LM-4)  
- **Mass**: 13,941 kg (launch weight), 4,302 kg (dry weight)  
- **Dimensions**: 6.985 meters tall  
- **Launch vehicle**: Carried by Saturn V rocket SA-505 from Kennedy Space Center  
- **COSPAR ID**: 1969-043D  
- **Significant events**: Undocked in lunar orbit (May 22), jettisoned (May 23)  
- **Current status**: Only surviving Apollo LM ascent stage in solar orbit  

## FAQs
### Q: Why was it named Snoopy?
A: NASA named the LM "Snoopy" and the Command Module "Charlie Brown" after the Peanuts characters, continuing the space program's tradition of using cartoon call signs for visibility.

### Q: Did Snoopy land on the Moon?
A: No - while it descended to 8.4 nautical miles above the lunar surface (May 22, 1969), Apollo 10 was a dress rehearsal without landing capability.

### Q: What happened to Snoopy after the mission?
A: The ascent stage was intentionally sent into solar orbit on May 23, 1969, where it remains - the only surviving Apollo LM ascent stage in space.

## Why It Matters
As the final test before the historic Apollo 11 landing, Snoopy proved critical operational concepts for lunar missions. Its successful descent to 50,000 feet validated navigation systems, landing radar, and crew procedures in actual lunar conditions. The mission demonstrated the Lunar Module's ability to separate from and redock with the Command Module in lunar orbit - essential for future landings. Apollo 10's data directly enabled Apollo 11's success two months later. Snoopy's legacy persists as a key engineering reference for lunar lander designs and a cultural icon of space exploration.

## Notable For
- Closest approach to Moon surface (8.4 nmi) before actual landing  
- First color TV broadcasts from lunar orbit  
- Only Apollo Lunar Module ascent stage still in space  
- Used modified landing gear without full landing capability  
- Carried lunar maps later used by Apollo 11  

## Body
### Technical Specifications
- **Structure**: Two-stage design (descent/ascent stages)  
- **Propulsion**: Descent engine (4,500 lbf thrust), ascent engine (3,500 lbf)  
- **Manufacturer**: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation  
- **Serial number**: LM-4  

### Mission Timeline
- **Launch**: May 18, 1969, 16:49 UTC (Kennedy LC-39B)  
- **Lunar orbit insertion**: May 21, 20:44 UTC  
- **Descent orbit**: May 22 - descended to 50,000 ft altitude  
- **Undocking**: May 22, 19:00 UTC in lunar orbit  
- **Redocking**: May 23, 03:11 UTC  
- **Jettison**: May 23, 05:13 UTC - ascent stage sent to solar orbit  

### Systems Testing
- Validated lunar module radar and navigation systems  
- Tested abort procedures from descent orbit  
- Demonstrated crew transfer between modules  
- Evaluated communications at lunar distances  

### Current Status
- Descent stage likely impacted Moon (location unknown)  
- Ascent stage remains in heliocentric orbit - last tracked in 2011  
- Recognized as historically significant spacecraft by NASA

## References

1. [Source](https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4029/Apollo_18-17_Call_Signs.htm)
2. Apollo: The Definitive Sourcebook
3. Jonathan's Space Report
4. Apollo by the Numbers: A Statistical Reference