May 23, 2024, 10:11 PM IST
The first animals in space were fruit flies, launched by the U.S. in 1947 to study the effects of radiation at high altitudes.
Albert II, a rhesus monkey, became the first primate in space in 1949, launched by the U.S. on a V-2 rocket.
Laika, a Soviet space dog, became the first animal to orbit Earth in 1957 aboard Sputnik 2.
These Soviet dogs orbited Earth and returned safely in 1960, paving the way for human spaceflight.
Ham, a chimpanzee, was the first hominid in space. He was launched by the U.S. in 1961 and successfully completed a suborbital flight.
Félicette, a French cat, was the first and only cat to have flown in space. She was launched in 1963 and survived the trip.
Also known as water bears, these microscopic animals were sent to space in 2007 to test their incredible resilience. Some survived the harsh conditions of space.
In 1968, the Soviet Union sent tortoises around the Moon on the Zond 5 spacecraft. They returned to Earth alive and were part of the mission to test life support systems for future manned missions.
Medaka fish have been used in various experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) to study the effects of microgravity on vertebrate development and gene expression.