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Animals that made it to space before you did

We have all heard of so many successful astronauts and spaceships hitting it off to Space. But have you ever heard of animals who went to Space? Sounds odd. But what if we tell you that as funny as it sounds, these animals that visited Space were sent there for an important mission. 

There were many other reasons why these animals went to Space. They helped test the Space programs that would eventually guide the Space travellers to understand whether it was safe to travel. Read this full article if you want to know which animals they were and why they were made to go there. We promise; you will find this interesting.

  • 1. Laika the dog 

On November 3, 1957, Laika was launched into space. This dog successfully Orbited the Earth. This one was a Russian stray dog that was well-trained to survive this program. Luckily, it did. But during the mission, Laika soon passed away, which made everyone quite sad. Eventually, other dogs were tried and tested for this purpose, and each brought different results.

  • 2. Fruit Flies

Fruit Flies was the first animal that was sent into space. This happened on February 20, 1947, to examine the effects of radiation on DNA. But it was unfortunate that they could not exactly make it to the Orbit. However, they did reach Space and proved to be highly useful. Also, if you underestimated the experiment on Fruit Flies for this Space mission, you will be shocked to know that they returned alive on Earth. Yes, the mission wasn’t successful, but it helped the United States understand many things regarding the purpose the whole mission was curated in the first place.

  • 3. Albert I and Albert II

The first monkeys that made it to Space were Albert I and Albert II. This is a male rhesus monkey that travelled to Space on June 11, 1948. Although it was not considered a space mission technically, Albert did not survive this. You will be shocked to know that many sources suggest that the poor monkey may not have survived the launch either. We do not have clear facts on them. But the next monkey that followed was Albert II. But this poor monkey, too, did not get to survive the mission. However, the Space team learned a lot during this mission, and it helped them launch other animals into Space when needed successfully. That is why another set of animals were sent there in time. 

4. The first mouse 

Amidst the Monkeys and Fruit Flies, there was also the first for Mouses to go to Space. This happened in the year 1950 in August. But even this Mouse did not survive enough like the Monkeys. This was because the Mouse had a parachute malfunction. In time, the Space team decided to launch more Mice into Space in the same year. But it took nearly ten years for them to realise that only two rats survived the whole process amidst all the others involved in this mission. As such, this obsession over launching Mice into Space was also withdrawn. 

  • 5. Tsygan and Dezik Dogs 

Amidst all other adorable animals that made it to Space, dogs were sent for a specific mission. These dogs that made it to Space were known as Tsygam and Desk. Although they did not successfully make it to the Orbit, they reached Space. They also became the first higher living Organisms that survived a spaceflight. But unfortunately, Dezik passed away on their second attempt to Space in September. It was quite a tough time for others, too, who got attached to this cute dog. But another space mission took place, and the team recruited another dog for this purpose. 

  • 6. Rabbits 

On July 5, 1959, Rabbits were also sent to Space as the other animals. Although not much clear information is known about them, we know that they were sent there along with two more dogs. So, it couldn’t have been so bad. 

Conclusion 

These were some of the most exciting animals that made it to Space even before we did. Strange. But who knows what they might have had to go through. It is also unfortunate that so many of these poor animals did not have the chance of survival. Thanks to modern technology and safety methods that the Space teams execute to ensure utmost security of Space travellers nowadays. So, the risk of not returning has reduced exponentially. 

If you liked this article, we hope you will remember these poor babies who lost their lives during important Space missions. After all, they deserve to be remembered for their sheer bravery and intelligence.

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