Apr 13, 2025
Space Pioneers: Animals That Went Before Humans
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Before humans, animals paved the way for space exploration. Their journeys helped scientists understand space’s effects on living beings
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Laika – The Space Dog
Laika, a stray dog from Moscow, became the first animal to orbit Earth aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957. She made history and headlines
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Albert II – The Space Monkey
Albert II, a rhesus monkey, was the first monkey in space in 1949. Sadly, he died upon re-entry due to parachute failure
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Ham – The Astrochimp
Ham, a chimpanzee, became the first great ape to survive a spaceflight and return safely to Earth in 1961, aboard a Mercury capsule
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Felicette – The Space Cat
France sent a cat named Félicette into space in 1963. She was the only feline astronaut and came back safely
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Tardigrades – The Survivors
Also called water bears, tardigrades were sent into space and survived extreme radiation, vacuum, and freezing showing their toughness
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Tortoises on the Moon Mission
In 1968, the Soviet Union sent tortoises around the Moon on Zond 5. They returned alive, proving longer spaceflights could be possible
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Mice & Rats in Microgravity
NASA has frequently used mice and rats to study long-term effects of space travel on bones, muscles, and reproduction
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Frogs in Orbit
NASA’s “Frog Otolith” project studied frogs to understand balance and movement in zero gravity
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