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Czech cartoon hero Krtek to join astronauts aboard NASA’s space flight

(This article expired 24.03.2012.)

The popular Czech character Krtek (Little Mole) will be a passenger – in plush toy form – on the space shuttle Endeavour during a two week voyage to the International Space Station lifting off on April 29.

US Astronaut Andrew Feustel, whose mother-in-law is from Znojmo in the Czech Republic, is bringing the children’s beloved character with him to space to inspire younger generations to study science, technology, mathematics, and engineering, and become interested in astronomy and space exploration. This is not Krtek’s first voyage into space, however, as he already flew around the world in the 1965 animated cartoon “Krtek a Raketa” (Little Mole and the Rocket). Krtek was created in the 1956 by Czech animator Zdenek Miler and remains a children’s icon not only in the Czech Republic but around the world in countries such as Germany, Austria, China and India.

You may follow Krtek's voyage on NASA's website here.