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Lot 211
[Apollo 10] LM SNOOPY BEGINNING HUMANITY'S FIRST DESCENT TOWARD ANOTHER WORLD John Young, 18-26 May 1969
14 – 28 April 2025, 12:00 CEST
Paris, Avenue Hoche€600 - €800
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[Apollo 10] LM SNOOPY BEGINNING HUMANITY'S FIRST DESCENT TOWARD ANOTHER WORLD
John Young, 18-26 May 1969
Printed 1969.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS10-34-5089].
Numbered "NASA AS10-34-5089" in red in the top margin, with "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas).
20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Historical context
Taken by John Young from the Command Module Charlie Brown, the image shows Snoopy floating against the vast blackness of space, moments before its descent engine was ignited to take it closer to the lunar surface than any spacecraft before—a critical dress rehearsal for the upcoming Moon landing.
Aboard Snoopy were Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan, tasked with simulating the descent phase of the Apollo landing mission, reaching an altitude of just 8.4 nautical miles (15.6 km) above the Moon before aborting and returning to dock with the Command Module. This flight was crucial in verifying navigation, radar, and guidance systems, ensuring that Apollo 11 could safely land two months later.
The image's dramatic framing through the CM window adds depth, emphasizing the isolation of the Lunar Module as it embarks on a groundbreaking journey.
Printed 1969.
Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS10-34-5089].
Numbered "NASA AS10-34-5089" in red in the top margin, with "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas).
20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Historical context
Taken by John Young from the Command Module Charlie Brown, the image shows Snoopy floating against the vast blackness of space, moments before its descent engine was ignited to take it closer to the lunar surface than any spacecraft before—a critical dress rehearsal for the upcoming Moon landing.
Aboard Snoopy were Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan, tasked with simulating the descent phase of the Apollo landing mission, reaching an altitude of just 8.4 nautical miles (15.6 km) above the Moon before aborting and returning to dock with the Command Module. This flight was crucial in verifying navigation, radar, and guidance systems, ensuring that Apollo 11 could safely land two months later.
The image's dramatic framing through the CM window adds depth, emphasizing the isolation of the Lunar Module as it embarks on a groundbreaking journey.
Footnotes
Literature
LIFE, 6 June 1969, p. 32 (variant)
Watch more
CLICK HERE: Apollo 10 - To Sort Out The Unknowns (1969)