There have been many animals in space, and we can be proud to say that these creatures have solved many of our space exploration problems. Animals have been the earliest space flight pioneers, and many of them lost their lives while in orbit.
But are they appreciated enough for their efforts? Are there still any countries that have animals in space? Is there any animal that has died there? Discover the answers to all these questions below. We will tell you about important animals in space, their missions, and their successes.
Which country has animals in space?
Today, many countries are still sending animals in space, and many creatures, especially tardigrades and water bears, have no difficulty surviving there. Some super tiny organisms can survive any conditions, including extreme cold and extreme heat. Since radioactive environments don’t influence them either, they don’t have any problem surviving the vacuum of space. But back in the Soviet Union days, humanity sent other animals, too. Read on to see what these animals were and what happened to them.
Which animal was first in space?
The first animal in the space suit was Laika, a dog. In 1957, she was sent on a mission after being found on the streets of Moscow. Since the de-orbit technology had not been discovered until then, Laika died of overheating a few hours into the flight. Scientists who sent her there didn’t even expect her to survive, but her journey tells us a lot about space exploration. Flight noise and pressure must have terrified her, and her heartbeat quadrupled during this experiment. You can see declassified printouts of her respiration during flight at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
Why do people put animals in space?
People put animals in space because they want to see how different organisms endure cosmic harsh conditions. Ever since Laika, the first animal in space, there have been many other animals sent there on similar missions. For example, we have Dezik, Yorick, Tsygan, and other dogs. One dog named Lucy has been into space twice. According to Orbital Today, we couldn’t have sent humans into space if animals wouldn’t have been there already. Our little friends’ flights helped us avoid many dangers, thus saving the lives of human astronauts who went there after. But the first creatures to ever be embarked on a cosmic flight were fruit flies because they have compact size and weight.
Has any animal died in space?
Many animals have died there. Not only Laika lost her life there, but also monkeys Albert II, Albert III, and Albert IV. A mouse that was launched on a journey into our planet’s orbit died during return. In total, 15 dogs that were sent on cosmic missions died. Also, a squirrel monkey Gordo didn’t survive back in December 1958, when his splashdown vehicle’s mechanism malfunctioned. The sad part is that even if they survived their journey, many animals were still euthanized upon their return to see what happened to their brain. These experiments tell us how humans can go there and survive.
Which animals have been sent into space so far?
There have been many animals in space so far, from insects, rats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, newts, snails, frogs, mice, quails, turtles, snails, and even some fish species. However, a dog is the most famous animal astronaut. Dogs and other mammals went to explore our planet’s orbit onboard Soviet, French, and American spacecraft. As mentioned, flies have been up there too, but they could not fly in the space environment. In total, there were 32 monkey spaceflights, and each of these flights had a mission. The most famous dogs that survived in space were Belka and Strelka. Dog experiments continued after, but only until 1966.
Is space a safe environment for animals?
As science has proven so far, it is not a safe environment for animals. Some of the factors that destroy these creatures’ health include microgravity, radiation, vacuum, psychological stress, re-entry, and landing. For instance, Laika died under stress conditions, as she couldn’t bear the noises made by the spacecraft’s equipment and because her capsule’s control system overheated. Still, the good news is that some animals, such as cockroaches, spiders, ants, fish, mice, water bears, and some other species, live on the International Space Station (ISS). They are very helpful in conducting different medicine, ecology, biology, and even astronomy experiments.
Is Félicette the Only Cat That Has Been into Space?
Yes, Félicette from France is the first and only cat that has been into space so far. Some countries like the US and Iran are still trying to beat France’s record and send cats into space, but they haven’t been successful so far. Centre d’Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique (CERMA) tried sending a second cat in 1963, but the animal’s flight ran into difficulties, and recovery was no longer possible. You can view the statue of Félicette at France’s International Space University in Strasbourg.
As you can see, animals have already paved our way to the stars, and they keep helping scientists aboard the ISS even now. Fortunately, today’s technology is way safer than it used to be, so the mortality rate is lower compared to the first days of space exploration.
