A popular sheep will soon be off to space, and while "it might be a small step for a human, it's a giant leap for lambkind". Shaun, the title character from the animated television series "Shaun the Sheep" has been selected as the first 'astronaut' abroad the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and European Space Agency's (ESA) Artemis 1 lunar mission.

'A giant leap for lambkind': Shaun the Sheep will be ESA, NASA's first 'astronaut' to the Moon

NASA has picked Masten Space Systems to deliver and operate eight payloads to the Moon's South Pole in 2022. This will be a part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative as part of the agency's Artemis programme, the US space agency said on Wednesday.

NASA picks Masten Space Systems to deliver cargo to Moon's South Pole in 2022

Chandrayaan-2: Everything you need to know about India's lunar mission

The Trump administration isn't convinced the $10.7 billion set aside for space exploration in the proposed 2020 budget is enough to help put astronauts on the Moon by 2024.

Trump administration proposes another $1.6 billion for Moon efforts