A cat named Félicette (next image) was pic.twitter.com/RuRGfeozjN, — Brandon Winfrey (@bwinfrey) November 14, 2016. Félicette's journey to outer space was preceded by Laika, the Russian street dog who became the first animal to orbit the Earth aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957. Decades after her death and remarkable accomplishment for mankind, Félicette finally received the recognition she deserved. Félicette's journey to outer space was preceded by Laika, the Russian street dog who became the first animal to orbit the Earth aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957. She flew about 100 miles above Earth and spent several minutes in zero gravity, all while scientists monitored her progress via the electrodes implanted in her brain. Félicette, the first cat to ever go to space, got a memorial last month with a statue debuted to the public at the International Space University, located in Strasbourg, France. Space.com, Nov 2017: First Cat in Space to Receive a Proper Memorial; Smithsonian Magazine, Jan 2020: Félicette, the First Cat in Space, Finally Gets a Memorial; Souvenir sheet produced by Chad in 1997, one of a series showing aspects of space travel. Félicette was chosen mainly by chance as she and her littermates were bought by the French scientists. With good reason, of course: she is the only feline to ever survive a temporary stay below planet Earth’s orbit. Nearly $55,000 was raised, and according to an update posted in October 2018, the organizers are still looking for a suitable location for that statue. Luckily, Félicette made it home alive and well, unlike many of the other animal astronauts that flew during the space race. Space.com, Nov 2017: First Cat in Space to Receive a Proper Memorial; Smithsonian Magazine, Jan 2020: Félicette, the First Cat in Space, Finally Gets a Memorial; Souvenir sheet produced by Chad in 1997, one of a series showing aspects of space travel. The first cat to fly in space and live to meow about it is getting her own statue, thanks to the crowdfunded support of more than 1,100 of her fans. While her life was a somewhat short and tragic one, Félicette’s legacy continues to inspire many and has finally gained the recognition she deserves. Who is Félicette? Ham, a chimpanzee, was sent to space by the United States. Both monkeys survived but Able passed away during a later operation. A feline stand-in demonstrates the equipment used to launch Félicette into space atop a Veronique AG147 rocket, on Oct. 16, 1963. Camouflage, Poison and Hypnosis – How Cuttlefish Catch Their Prey. Félicette the Space Cat (I like you like Laika) by Ryan Learoyd published on 2017-11-14T16:10:55Z. (en) K. Dougherty, P. Jung et Jean-Jacques Serra, « Félicette, the only space cat », International Astronautical Congress, 2018. Located inside the Pioneer’s Hall at ISU, the 5-foot-tall (1.5 meters) bronze statue features Félicette perched on top of planet Earth and gazing up at the stars. Then, almost as soon as she arrived, the capsule detached from the rocket and she parachuted safely to the ground, where she was retrieved by scientists. Discover Memorial to Félicette, the First Cat in Space in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France: The little tuxedo cat survived the trip, then languished in obscurity. Determined to be the first to enter space safely, they used various types of research, including the use of launching animals into space. However, the cats had to undergo numerous tests to ensure they were up to the challenge. At first, the scientists used rats for their experiments but thought that they needed to use a larger mammal for better results. Before Félicette started her important training numerous electrodes were surgically implanted into her brain to help scientists track her neurological activity. The team known as CARE (comprised of courageous cats) performed an in-air rescue! Chimpanzees are not monkeys. "It's Félicette's contributions to spaceflight research that will one day allow us to take our cats to the Martian colonies and beyond," a video on the Kickstarter page states. Required fields are marked *. The French space program first used a cat named Felix for their mission, but he escaped from the laboratory and was unable to be found. She was bought from a local pet dealer and later taken to a training facility where she underwent tests for her future space mission. In a uniquely Gallic surge of innovation, 1963 witnessed France entering the feline space race via a cat named Félicette. Squirrel monkeys are not apes. She spent about 13 minutes on a sub-orbital flight before returning to Earth. It's a classic zero to hero tale: A stray cat is plucked from the streets of Paris and trained to be an astronaut. His replacement was a female cat Félicette which was launched on 18 October 1963 riding the French Véronique AG1 rocket from Algerian Sahara desert rocket base. Over the last 54 years, the story of the first and only cat to go to space has been largely forgotten. Félicette was an exceptional cat who helped humans achieve many remarkable space feats. However, these stamps incorrectly identified her as Felix, the cat who escaped. Félicette survived her flight, but her life ended at a research facility where scientists euthanized her so they could study her brain to see how her travels affected it. Matthew Guy, French space cat booster. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Other tests Félicette had to go through included being kept in a small container for a long amount of time and being taught not to tug against the restraint cloth wrapped around her. on Kickstarter! In fact, the origin of the name Félicette isn’t clear. ), A lot of people think Felix (show in postage stamp) was the first cat in space, but he never existed. Félicette (French pronunciation: [fe.liː.sɛt]) was the first cat launched into space, on 18 October 1963 as part of the French space program.Félicette was one of 14 female cats trained for spaceflight. During the 20th-century numerous countries competed in what is known as the Space Race. Instead, she was given a code number for identification – C341. During the trip scientists were able to monitor things such as their pulse, respiratory rate, and body temperature. Félicette Profile It is often said that there are more people who have travelled to space than there are Masters of Wine, and while that may be very true, there are many more MW's than there are cosmic cats. Scientists euthanized her a few months later to study the impact of space travel on her brain. Launched into space by the Soviet Union, Laika the dog was one of the first animals to orbit the Earth. The cats had electrodes implanted onto their skulls so their neurological activity could … The black and white cat's unlikely ascent to stardom began in the early '60s, when France's Centre d'Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique (CERMA) chose more than a dozen cats to complete a rigorous space training program. A small squirrel monkey, Gordo was one of the first apes in space and helped U.S. researchers to discover how weightlessness worked and if the body could survive re-entry into the atmosphere. Félicette was the first cat sent to space and remains the only cat astronaut who returned to Earth alive. The cats had electrodes implanted onto their skulls so their neurological activity could … Félicette having survived the perilous space flight had slight side effects from space travel which included. A new memorial for Félicette, the first and only cat to go to space, has arrived at its permanent home at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France. Her awesome story: "Félicette was the first and only cat launched into space, on 18 October 1963 as part of the French space program. She deserves a proper memorial. They are monkeys. Finally, Recognition for Félicette — the First Cat in Space. Once she was picked up from the street, her destiny made a drastic turn. Her parachute then deployed and she fell back to Earth into the Sahara Desert where she was picked up by researchers. She remains, to this day, the only cat who has ever left the atmosphere. This is a time to remember Félicette who is the first and only cat to travel into space because a memorial statue was unveiled at the International Space University (ISU) in Strasbourg, France, on December 18th 2019. "Thank you for taking part… Ham survived his space flight and was later sent to live at the North Carolina Zoological Park. Unlike many other animals launched into space, Félicette didn’t receive an official name until after her assignment as a way to help prevent the scientists from becoming attached to her. Able and Baker were dressed with helmets and jackets to help make their journey more comfortable. Ned Hardy | Contact | Privacy Policy | DMCA StomachPunch Media, LLC. After her death, she was forgotten for a bit, but in the 1990s commemorative stamps were made to honor her. She was a nice-natured black-and-white female and selected to fly into space among other elites. The statue depicts Félicette sitting on top of the Earth and looking up into the heavens. The trip lasted 15 minutes total. Can A Silverback Gorilla Defeat A Lion, Tiger Or Bear In Battle? (Photo: Getty Images) The launch crew began preparing at the launch site on October 8, 1963. Her awesome story: "Félicette was the first and only cat launched into space, on 18 October 1963 as part of the French space program. "For that, she deserves her rightful recognition. On Oct. 18, 1963, a French cat named Félicette became the first and only feline to ever travel to space. Unlike Félicette, that cat died when the carrying rocket exploded on ascent" [10] (couldn't get the source link to load on my computer). (Photo: Getty Images) The launch crew began preparing at the launch site on October 8, 1963. Matthew Serge Guy is raising funds for A statue to Félicette, the first cat in space. (However, those stamps incorrectly identified her as a male cat named Félix. An online campaign raised more than $57,000 to honor Félicette, a black and white stray launched by the French in 1963. You should have learned the difference between monkeys and apes from reading books about animals when you were nine years old. Luckily, Félicette made it home alive and well, unlike many of the other animal astronauts that flew during the space race. She was bought from a local pet dealer and later taken to a training facility where she underwent tests for her future space mission. The French had previously launched three rats into space and apparently decided to upgrade to larger mammals to study their bodily response to weightlessness. Félicette Profile It is often said that there are more people who have travelled to space than there are Masters of Wine, and while that may be very true, there are many more MW's than there are cosmic cats. She, and her 1963 voyage into space holds a place of honor on the website of the French government's space agency Centre national d'études spatiales. Félicette was the first cat sent to space and remains the only cat astronaut who returned to Earth alive. Discover Memorial to Félicette, the First Cat in Space in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France: The little tuxedo cat survived the trip, then languished in obscurity. Although Félicette's adventures were short, many people want to preserve her legacy. A feline stand-in demonstrates the equipment used to launch Félicette into space atop a Veronique AG147 rocket, on Oct. 16, 1963.