Shaun The Sheep Will Be The First “Astronaut” To Fly The Artemis I Mission Around The Moon
Specially trained woolly astronaut Shaun the Sheep has landed a spot on the Artemis I mission to the moon. The appointment of the cartoon character to this role was announced by the Director of Human and Robot Research of the European Space Agency (ESA), Dr. David Parker.
According to David Parker, Sean’s Mission completes the first phase for the newest members of the astronaut corps. Italian ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is currently on the International Space Station, and Danish ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen is preparing for his second flight.
“This is an exciting time for Sean and for us at ESA. We are thrilled that he has been selected for this mission and we understand that while this may be a small step for a man, it is a giant leap for a lamb,” Parker added.
Sean will join the Artemis I mission, which will be the first flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft carrying ESA’s European Service Module to fly around the moon and return to Earth. The mission will take place without a human crew. Instead, it will be controlled from the ground, with a woolly specialist as a passenger.
Lucy Wendover, director of marketing at Aardman, says: “Aardman is excited to join ESA and make history by launching the first sheep into space.
