Sheetal Kumari
September 5, 2024
Image: @sovietvisuals/X
Ham, the first chimpanzee to be trained for space, flew on the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission in 1961. His successful mission helped test astronaut training and spacecraft systems.
Image: NASA
In 1960, Soviet space dogs Belka and Strelka orbited Earth and safely returned. They were the first animals to survive a space mission and return alive!
Image: @sovietvisuals/X
Laika, a Soviet space dog, became the first animal to orbit Earth in 1957. Her mission aboard Sputnik 2 marked a crucial step in space travel.
Image: @sobredxsis/X
In 1959, Albert II, a rhesus monkey, became the first primate in space. His flight aboard a US V-2 rocket was a milestone in understanding space’s effects on living beings.
Image: @TheRealBuzz/X
Félicette, the first and only cat in space, was launched by France in 1963. Her journey helped scientists study the effects of space on biological systems.
Image: @Know/X
In 1959, space pioneer Miss Baker, a squirrel monkey, journeyed aboard a Jupiter IRBM rocket.
Image: @qikipedia/X
In 1968, Soviet tortoises aboard Zond 5 orbited the Moon with worms and soil. After six days, they crash-landed in the Indian Ocean but survived.
Image: NASA
Tardigrades, tiny and resilient creatures, were sent to space in 2007. They survived extreme conditions, showcasing their remarkable adaptability.
Image: Freepik