Shaun the Sheep, one of the most famous sheep on Earth, goes to space. A doll from the movie sheep is allowed as a “passenger” during the first test flight to the moon and back. Then there are no people on board yet.
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the film studio behind Schön, Erdmann, announced the flight on Tuesday. The mission is called Artemis I and is tentatively scheduled to launch on August 29. Shaun the Sheep returns to Earth after about 42 days. “We are thrilled that Sean has entered. This may be a small step for a human being, but it is a giant leap to limp,” said David Parker of the European Space Agency.
The United States wants to get people back to the moon and back in a few years. The last time an astronaut walked on the moon was in 1972. Europe built the engine part for the new lunar module. For flight practice, the unmanned test flight is performed first. The capsule is set to fly up to 70,000 kilometers behind the moon, “farther than any human or sheep has ever done,” according to the European Space Agency, and then return to Earth.
In 2019, Shaun the Sheep doll went to train astronauts. It happened before the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing and before the release of Shawn’s second film, The Space Sheep. While training, Sean’s doll was on a plane that landed so hard that everyone on board became weightless for a moment. Astronauts prepare with such flights that are equivalent to what it feels like to be in space.
