animals in space
In the early days of space exploration, many countries used animals to study how living bodies respond to spaceflight. The first creature to reach space was a primate, not a mouse or a dog. On June 14, 1949, a rhesus macaque named Albert II was launched from a U.S. base in a pressurized capsule and rose to an altitude of about 134 kilometers. The mission used a captured V-2 rocket with its warhead removed and replaced by a payload. Albert II survived the ascent and the descent until impact, when the parachute failed and the animal did not survive the landing.
After that mission, several monkeys flew aboard similar V-2 rockets, but survival was rare. The luckiest, a monkey named VI, died from overheating soon after landing while awaiting rescue. The incident highlighted the dangers of rocket design that had originated in early wartime aims. In 1951 the Soviet Union sent dogs Gypsy and Desik into space on a V-2 variant designed for capturing a more extended suborbital flight; both returned safely to Earth.
Most of these early missions were suborbital—no full loop around the planet occurred. The first animal to orbit Earth was a dog, Laika, aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957. Although instruments ceased to record life signs a few hours after launch, Laika did not survive the mission. In 1960, the Sputnik 5 mission carried Belka and Strelka back from orbit, marking a notable milestone in the early space program.
The French enter the race
France began its space program in 1961 with the goal of becoming a major space power alongside the USSR and the United States. The initial French rocket, Véronique, had less lift than the V-2 and could not carry monkeys. On February 22, 1961, a mouse named Hector went into space, but the French shift toward larger animal testing soon followed. The choice fell on cats, driven by their historical use in neurological studies.
In 1963 the Aeromedical Research Center bought fourteen cats from a pet dealer. They were all female, chosen for calmer behavior, and there was no public naming until preparation concluded so staff would stay emotionally detached. An intensive training program began: the cats were conditioned to withstand noise and vibrations, to remain seated in a fabric cocoon, and to cope with high accelerations in a centrifuge. Physicians monitored neurological signals through implanted brain electrodes. If the animals showed distress or pain, the procedures would pause.
However, preparations could not extend beyond two months because of concerns about electrode reliability and potential malfunctions.
cat flight
On October 17, 1963, scientists selected six cats as finalists, based on health, weight, and temperament. The final decision about which cat would fly was made the day before launch, with a black-and-white feline designated as C341 earning a spot on the rocket.
Two sensors were implanted in C341’s front leg to stimulate movement during flight, along with electrodes monitoring heart activity. Two microphones tracked breathing and any vocalizations.
At 08:09, the rocket carrying C341 lifted off from the test site in French Algeria. The mission lasted 13 minutes, with five minutes spent in zero gravity and the cat achieving an altitude above 150 kilometers. In zero gravity, the heart rate and breathing normalized after an initial adjustment period. The descent produced peak g-forces of around 9.5 g, and the capsule’s rotation before parachute deployment likely caused significant discomfort. Pulse and heart activity indicated anxiety during this phase. Immediately after landing, scientists rescued C341 by helicopter.
The mission’s success quickly drew public interest, and the cat was given a name. He became Felix, echoing a classic interwar cartoon character. After it was revealed that a female cat also participated, her name was changed to Felicette.
Felicette captured the public imagination in France for a time. Her life after the mission was short; she was euthanized two months later so researchers could study the brain and understand the effects of spaceflight. At that time, no available method matched tissue analysis for such inquiries. One other cat died during takeoff, another had electrodes removed due to health concerns, and Scoobydoo served as the laboratory’s mascot. In total, eleven of the thirteen animals involved were euthanized.
In 1965 France launched its first satellite, Asterix, and continued its research with monkeys as participants. Both endeavors relied on the larger Diamant rocket. A bronze monument later commemorated the first space cat in recognition of this era of experimentation.