animals in space
Testing on animals has become a common practice in the field of astronautics in many countries around the world. Interestingly, the first animal was in space long before the generally accepted date for the beginning of the space age and was not a mouse or a dog, but a primate. On June 14, 1949, the rhesus macaque Albert II was launched from the American Holloman Air Force Base in a pressurized capsule and rose to an altitude of 134 km. The launch vehicle was a V-2 captured from the Germans in 1945, with the warhead removed and the payload installed in its place. Albert II survived the launch in space and during descent, but died when he hit the ground due to the parachute failing.
Many more monkeys managed to fly the V-2, but none survived for long. The luckiest was VI, who died of overheating just a few hours after landing while waiting for the rescue team. It was Albert. But this is not surprising, because the German rocket was created not for space travel, but for the bombing of London. However, in 1951, the USSR sent the dogs Gypsy and Desik into space on a V-2 – an almost copy of the R-1 rocket, but the animals returned safely to earth.
All of these flights were suborbital, meaning the devices did not make a single orbit around the planet. The first animal to enter orbit in 1957 was the dog Laika, who flew inside Sputnik 2. The equipment stopped recording signs of life a few hours after launch, but the dog would not return regardless; The device burned up in the atmosphere six months later. In 1960, Sputnik 5 managed to bring dogs Belka and Strelka back from orbit.
The French enter the race
By starting its space program in 1961, France aimed to become the third space power after the USSR and the USA. His first rocket, Véronique, had less lift capacity than the V-2, so monkey flights were out of the question. On February 22, 1961, the mouse Hector went into space, but the French wanted to test the system with larger animals. The choice fell on cats, because in those years they were often used to study the functioning of the nervous system.
In 1963, the Aeromedical Research Center purchased 14 cats from a pet dealer. They were all women due to their calmer behavior than men. The scientists decided not to name the animals until the end of the preparation phase so that staff would not become attached to them.
An intensive training program began: the cats were taught not to be afraid of noise and vibrations, to sit quietly in a fabric “cocoon” and to withstand extreme loads in the centrifuge. At the same time, doctors constantly monitored the animals’ neurological condition through electrodes implanted in the brain. If the cats panicked or started to feel severe pain, the devices would indicate this.
However, preparations could not be made for more than two months due to fear of malfunction of the implanted electrodes.
cat flight
On October 17, 1963, the day before the flight, scientists selected six finalist cats. The main criteria were health, appropriate weight and calm character. It was only decided before the launch, on October 18, who exactly would fly with the rocket – the “winner” was a black and white cat with the number C341.
A pair of contact points were implanted in his front leg to stimulate his movements in flight, as well as additional electrodes to monitor his heart activity (which is uncomfortable but not painful). Two microphones monitored the cat’s breathing and possible cries.
At 08:09, the rocket carrying C341 took off from the CIEES test site in French Algeria. In total, the flight lasted 13 minutes; five of which were that the cat was in zero gravity and reached an altitude of more than 150 km. During the launch, the animal was cautious, but in zero gravity the pulse slowed and breathing became normal. The peak g-force during descent was 9.5 g, but the rotation of the capsule before the parachute opened must have been much more uncomfortable. During this period, pulse and heartbeat again indicated anxiety. Immediately after landing, C341 was captured by scientists arriving by helicopter.
The success of the mission was made public, and journalists decided that the cat needed a name. He was named Felix, after the interwar cartoon character of the same name. When it was revealed that there was a female in space, her name was changed to Felicette.
Felicette became a public favorite in France for a time, but her life was short-lived. Felicette was euthanized two months after landing, despite being in good health. Doctors wanted to study his brain in detail and the consequences of flying for it, and at that time no method could compare with tissue dissection.
One of the remaining 13 animals set off on October 24 but died during takeoff. A cat’s electrodes were removed due to health problems, and the laboratory’s mascot became Scoobydoo. At the end of the program, 11 animals were euthanized.
In 1965, the French launched the first satellite, Asterix, and continued its research program with the participation of monkeys. Both were built on the new, much larger Diamant rocket.
A few years ago, in honor of the first and only space cat sewn bronze monument.