Human beings, as a species, have always aimed to understand everything around us in depth. As we learn more, our curiosity increases exponentially—a premise as fundamental as the relationship between supply and demand. This is how we came to conquer even the limits of our terrestrial confines and reach space. But what was the first manned spaceflight?
Man, in his search for an explanation of everything around him, has come up with a very particular phrase, which for a long time was terrifying to hear for the least privileged in that context ; that phrase was: we do it in the name of science and discovery.
Following this argument that gave researchers and scientists a kind of divine quality, to be able to interrupt the common order of things, excused by the simple presumption that they were acting out of a collective doubt or uncertainty (humanity), which made them entitled to superhuman rights, science altered the order and the lives of many third parties.
In this quest for knowledge during the Middle Ages, many physicians practiced on prisoners to measure pharmacological effects and even perform surgical procedures, studying the anatomy of certain organs and their functions while they were still alive. Animals were no exception for science. Learn more about scientific research and its implications in our history.
In the world of cosmic and astronomical studies, science also used animals to measure the effect that zero gravity would have on living beings and other conditions of the journey and travel outside our atmosphere, thus creating safety conditions for the planet's first cosmonauts.
The first space voyages were manned by animals
If you want to learn more about other discoveries, follow this link: 12 Interesting Facts About Mercury You Probably Didn't Know
the fruit fly
This insect was the pioneering animal of all , the first species to leave Earth's atmosphere. In mid-July 1946, accompanied only by a few corn kernels, several fruit flies launched into outer space aboard a V-2 rocket . This event marked a milestone in the history of space missions.
The fruit flies were recovered alive after their return to Earth. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the effects of radiation exposure at high altitude.
Albert II, a Rhesus monkey
Apes receive training before being sent into space
On this occasion, a quadruped was sent into space. On June 14, 1949, the United States launched the first mammal into space: Albert II, a rhesus monkey. He traveled aboard a German-made V-2 rocket. Albert II reached an altitude of 134 km. However, he did not share the same fate as the flies, as upon re-entry, the parachute system failed, resulting in the monkey's death upon impact with Earth. This type of experiment allows us to understand more about human nature.
Russian Dogs: Tsygan and Dezik
The two Russian Dogs that survived the return to Earth
On January 29, 1951, the Soviet Union launched the R-1 IIIA-1 spacecraft into space, though it did not reach orbit. The spacecraft carried the dogs Tsygan and Dezik as its crew. Both dogs survived the flight, paving the way for future studies on artificial satellites.
Laika, Russian bitch
On November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union again launched Laika, a mixed-breed dog they had taken from the streets of Moscow and trained to withstand the conditions of space travel, into orbit. However, this training proved insufficient, as Laika died five hours into the flight due to stress and overheating. Initially, Russia claimed it was a controlled poisoning, but years later they admitted there had been malfunctions and the cabin had overheated. This case underscores the importance of training for space missions.
american cosmonaut mouse
On August 31, 1958, NASA launched a mouse into space to an altitude of approximately 137 km above the Earth's surface. The rodent traveled aboard a German V-2 rocket (called "Albert V flight"), which, unlike previous "Albert" series flights, did not carry a monkey. This type of research is fascinating and helps us understand more about animal communication.
“Gordo”: the American squirrel monkey
Many of these animals did not survive the journey
On this occasion, the United States of America, through NASA, launched a Jupiter-class intercontinental ballistic missile from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on December 13, 1958, carrying a South American squirrel monkey named "Gordo." This monkey had received special training from the U.S. Navy. Telemetry data showed that during the return journey, the animal survived 10 times Earth's gravity—that is, 8 minutes of microgravity, or in other words, near weightlessness—and a reentry at 16 km/h, the deceleration of which generated a gravity 40 times greater than Earth's for the monkey. Through these events, we learn about the enhanced resilience of certain organisms.
On this occasion, upon entering Earth's atmosphere, the parachute system failed, and the ape died on impact with the ground. The capsule carrying the mammalian crew member sank 2 km off Cape Canaveral and was never recovered by NASA.
Able and Baker monkeys
This was a successful flight for the apes. On May 28, 1959, monkeys named Able and Baker became the first to return alive to Earth after a spaceflight. These pioneering apes were the crew of the AM-18 intercontinental ballistic missile, which comfortably carried Able, a rhesus monkey born in the United States, weighing 3,18 kg, and Baker, a squirrel monkey from Peru, weighing 310 grams. This type of experiment has been crucial in developing research strategies for future, generally successful missions.
On this occasion, the primates flew in the missile's frontal capsule, where the nuclear warheads are theoretically placed in a missile of these characteristics, and managed to reach an altitude of 579 km and a distance of 2735 km outside the range of the Atlantic missile system from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
These apes withstood an acceleration of gravity 38 times greater than that of Earth, graphed as follows: 38 G (according to the nomenclature of the space measurement system), experiencing weightlessness for 9 minutes.
During their 16-minute spaceflight, Able and Baker reached a maximum speed of 16 km/h (29 mph). The monkeys survived unharmed until landing. Unfortunately, Able died four days after the flight due to a reaction to the anesthesia used during the operation to remove an infected electrode, which measured the ape's immune system and its response during the flight. Baker lived on until November 1984, XNUMX, at the Huntsville Space Center, a true hero.
Ham the American chimpanzee
Meanwhile, the United States continued to crew spacecraft with primates. On January 31, 1961, Ham the monkey was the crew member of a capsule inside a Redstone rocket. This was part of the Mercury program, on the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission. This experiment exemplifies how one can learn about animal intelligence.
On this occasion, the monkey had received training in how to activate levers and switches to dispense bananas or avoid electric shocks. This ape's spaceflight demonstrated the ability to perform basic operations and maneuvers during a flight into outer space.
