[Space] [Snoopy] Armstrong, Neil, and Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Typed Letter, signed

Houston, Texas: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, June 23, 1969. Single sheet, 10 1/2 x 8 in. (267 x 203 mm). One-page typed letter, signed by the Apollo 11 crew, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, to Dayton's Advertising Department: "We certainly enjoyed the news clipping of Snoopy which you recently sent us. Your enthusiasm is delightful and we trust your interest will continue as the Apollo Program progresses." Creasing from when folded. In frame, 11 1/8 x 8 5/8 in. (282 x 219 mm).

A fine typed letter, signed by all three members of the Apollo 11 crew--Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins--less than a month before their historic moon landing. The letter makes reference to Charles Schulz's Snoopy, who by this time was unofficial mascot of NASA.

Snoopy first joined NASA in 1968 as a mascot for the Manned Flight Awareness program, an initiative to promote flight safety within the space program. Space was the natural trajectory for the intrepid beagle, who had already shown his fearlessness and flight skills as the World War I Flying Ace. He first appeared on motivational posters and other internal NASA material aimed at boosting morale and continued high performance standards amongst the NASA workforce, and was typically depicted in a spacesuit. In furtherance of the Flight Awareness program, later in 1968 NASA began awarding the Silver Snoopy award (given in the form of a silver lapel pin depicting a space-suited Snoopy), given to members of NASA's workforce who made valuable contributions to flight safety. Still awarded today, it has since become one of NASA's most highly coveted prizes, and whose stringent requirements make it one of the most difficult to attain. Charles Schulz was all too happy to lend Snoopy's likeness as a symbol for the space program, and donated drawings for their use free of charge.

Since his debut in 1968, Snoopy has been used in a myriad of ways in the space program, including by Apollo astronauts, who referred to their communications headgear as the “Snoopy cap” because of its resemblance to the aviator helmet worn by the canine as the World War I Flying Ace. During Apollo 10, crewmembers used "Snoopy" and "Charlie Brown" as their call signals for their Command and Lunar modules, while also bringing illustrations of Snoopy and Charlie Brown aboard their spacecraft. Furthermore, Snoopy plush dolls have made frequent excursions into space, as recently as 2022 while on board Artemis's journey to the moon.

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Provenance

From the collection of Justin G. Schiller

[Space] [Snoopy] Armstrong, Neil, and Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Typed Letter, signed