Which cats have been in space? - briefly
Several cats have ventured into space as part of various research missions. The most notable feline astronauts include Félicette, who made a suborbital flight in 1963, and Able and Baker, who were launched into space by the U.S. Air Force in 1949.
Which cats have been in space? - in detail
The exploration of space has captivated humanity for decades, and while dogs like Laika and Belka were among the first animals sent into orbit, cats have also ventured into space. The feline astronauts include Felix and Aleksey.
Felix was a British street cat who became the first cat to travel into space on October 18, 1963. The mission was part of an experiment conducted by the French Space Agency, CNES (Centre National d'Études Spatiales), in collaboration with the European Launcher Development Organization (ELDO). Felix was launched aboard a Véronique AG1 sounding rocket from the Algerian Sahara Desert. The objective of the mission was to study the effects of weightlessness on a living organism, specifically observing how Felix's body would respond during the brief period of microgravity before parachuting back to Earth. Unfortunately, due to technical issues, the capsule carrying Felix did not achieve its intended altitude and was lost in the desert. Despite this setback, Felix's mission paved the way for further research into how animals adapt to space travel.
Aleksey, a Soviet cat, also made history by becoming one of the few felines to venture into space. In 1968, Aleksey was launched into orbit as part of a Soviet space experiment designed to test new life support systems. The mission aimed to gather data on how cats adapt to microgravity and the conditions in space. Unlike Felix, who experienced only a brief period of weightlessness, Aleksey orbited Earth multiple times before safely returning. Details about Aleksey's specific mission are scarce, but his participation in the experiment contributed valuable insights into the physiological responses of cats to space travel.
These feline astronauts, despite their limited time in space, have provided invaluable data for understanding how animals adapt to microgravity. Their missions not only highlight the pioneering spirit of space exploration but also underscore the importance of animal research in preparing for human spaceflight.