Shaun the Sheep is set to join Dolly the Sheep as a pioneer of science and human achievement, as he’ll become the first sheep to fly through space and around the moon. Aardman, the animation studio behind Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, formed a partnership with the European Space Agency in order to mark the animated movie Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon.
Since then, the studio has maintained its relationship with the European Space Agency, which means that the titular sheep will be aboard the Artemis 1 mission. The mission is the latest attempt to reach the moon, and aims to re-establish getting humans on the moon as a frequent, achievable goal.
Shaun was chosen as the lucky character, above the Aardman duo Wallace and Gromit, as their previous adventure movie A Grand Day Out, already saw the pair reach the moon as they tried to discover whether or not it really was made of cheese in the kids movie. This means that Shaun will not only be the first sheep to fly around the moon, but actually the very first European.
After rigorous testing, which checked on the durability of the Shaun the Sheep puppet and whether or not it could physically withstand the flight, the sheep was given the all clear. This means that the Shaun in the rocket is going to be a genuine, Aardman puppet as seen on the screen.
The flight will undoubtedly get people thinking about what other TV series and movie characters they’d like to see in pioneering space research. For example, Shaun’s adventure will open up the possibility of a Yoda puppet being launched into space, or even Kermit the Frog. And of course, we’re sure that the amphibious Kermit would be right at home with Yoda on Dagobah.
If Shaun the Sheep’s exploration of the stars have you daydreaming about space, check out our guide to the best science fiction movies.