NASA Collaborates with Peanuts Worldwide in Celebration of International Space Station’s 20th Anniversary
NASA is weeks away from 20 years of continuous human presence on the International Space Station (ISS). In celebration, the NASA Space Flight Awareness Program (SFA) and the International Space Station (ISS) Program partnered with Peanuts Worldwide, LLC, to develop a unique product series featuring your favorite Beagle!
Snoopy began his journey with NASA during the Apollo missions in the 1960s. The Peanuts character can be seen in posters sharing safety messages in support of the Apollo program and, eventually, interacting with the first space station (Skylab).
“The Snoopy character continues to support themes of safety and mission success for the SFA program through the notable Silver Snoopy Award,” said SFA Program Manager Dr. Alotta Taylor.
Due to Snoopy’s rich history with NASA, the Partnership Office and the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) sparked conversations with Peanuts to see if Snoopy could assist in celebrating the station’s 20th anniversary.
The goal for the posters was to support the anniversary by telling some highlights of the station through a four-part series. HEOMD consulted with the ISS Program to streamline the product messaging.
“We looked at our basic message pillars for the ISS and pulled from that,” said Dylan Mathis, integration manager for Operational Programs. “The main pillar I’m referring to is Benefits to Humanity (Space Laboratory). The others are really a throwback to the shuttle era of safety and teamwork.”
Additionally, HEOMD approached STEM on Station to collaborate on educational content for a set of four lithographs.
“The goal was to have sheets for employees with activities to work on or topics to explore with their families,” said Aimee Crane, a HEOMD senior graphics designer. Crane served as the team liaison between NASA and Peanuts.
When asked how the team created the content, Becky Kamas, STEM on Station activity manager, noted, “We looked across all of the great NASA educational content to find opportunities and resources that help students connect to the International Space Station. We wanted to provide either online or easy-to-do at home activities given the current environment.”
Products that are developed in partnership with Peanuts are generally confined to in-person releases to ensure they are only going out to the NASA workforce. During normal circumstances, SFA physically distributes these items. To maintain employee safety during the Covid-19 pandemic, the team was able to coordinate a rare sequence of virtual releases leading up to the anniversary. The SFA website was the chosen vehicle for delivery.
Four of the five products are available internally for the NASA workforce. The final poster was made available on Oct. 15, and the lithographs will be published on Nov. 2 — the space station’s 20th anniversary date.
Virtually or in person, the team hopes this series will remind the workforce of the wonders of space and the human achievement of 20 years on the International Space Station.
Click to view and download the ISS 20th anniversary Snoopy posters (internal only).
Check out some other ISS 20th anniversary shareables!
Or, revel in the wonder of space station by watching a short video, “A Bridge Above: 20 Years of the International Space Station,” below.