British amateur astronomer identifies possible Snoopy module

A British amateur astronomer, Nick Howes, believes he has identified the Snoopy module, a piece of the Apollo 10 lunar module that was left in solar orbit after the mission in 1969. Howes, a member of the Royal Astronomical Society, thinks the asteroid 2018 AP4 might be the lost module based on its orbit, size, and signs of artificial origin.

Apollo 10 mission and the Snoopy module

The Apollo 10 mission in May 1969 was the last test flight before the first moon landing by Apollo 11. Astronauts Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan practiced the lunar landing procedure using the Snoopy module, bringing it to within 15.6 kilometers of the Moon’s surface without landing. After the mission, the ascent stage of Snoopy was sent into a solar orbit, but NASA lost track of it due to a poorly calibrated propulsion system.

Howes' search and discovery

Howes has been searching for the Snoopy module since 2011. He became interested in asteroid 2018 AP4 because of its size, solar orbit, and signs that it might be artificial. In 2019, exactly fifty years after Snoopy was left in orbit, Howes announced a 98 percent chance that the asteroid could be the lost module, sparking interest among space enthusiasts.

Challenges in confirming the hypothesis

Howes and his team are cautious because confirming the hypothesis would require detailed observations, such as spectral analysis to detect signs of manufactured metals. However, asteroid 2018 AP4 is currently too far from Earth for such precise studies. As a result, confirmation will have to wait until the object makes a closer approach to Earth in about eighteen years.

Historical and scientific significance

If confirmed, Howes' identification would give a physical form to a long-forgotten piece of space history and highlight the thorough preparation of the Apollo missions. It would also show the importance of test flights like Apollo 10 in ensuring the success of later lunar landings. Until then, the search for Snoopy continues to engage both amateur and professional astronomers, blending historical curiosity with scientific inquiry.