posted 06-26-2018 03:45 PM               

NASA sending Lewis and Clark dog doll to space for Park Service

A small toy dog is about to become a trailblazer in outer space, helping to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a trails system here on Earth.

Seaman, Jr., a plush replica of the Newfoundland working dog that traversed the western United States as a part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 1800s, is being launched by NASA to the International Space Station to mark the half century since the creation of the National Trails System in 1968. The doll's mission marks the first time the National Park Service (NPS) has sent something into space.

posted 08-07-2018 03:25 PM               

Woof, fellow earthlings! This is Seaman Jr., writing from space!

Right now, I'm aboard the International Space Station, a giant laboratory that circles the Earth at more than 17,000 miles per hour! Some said that a small and fuzzy toy like me could never be an astronaut, but I'm no ordinary stuffed animal.

...for his heroism, the original Seaman was given a collar that said, "The greatest traveler of my species." Because we share a name, NASA thought I would also be brave, smart, and eager to serve with people from many cultures. That's why they sent me to explore the next frontier: space! Now, as a pupstronaut, I'm working hard to prove myself worthy of the name Seaman Jr.

Soon, I'll be sending you more reports from space along with journal entries from my intense training at different NASA centers and other National Trails.