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Animals in space originally served to test the survivability of , the Soviet Union , France , Japan and China . 1940S The first animals intentionally sent into space were Fruit Flies , accompanied by Corn seeds aboard a U.S.-launched V2 Rocket in mid-July, 1946 . The purpose of the experiment was to explore the effects of radiation exposure at high altitudes. Some further V2 missions carried biological samples, including Moss . Albert II, a Rhesus Monkey , became the first Monkey In Space on June 14 , 1949 , in a U.S.-launched V2, (after the failure of the original Albert's mission). Albert II died on impact after a parachute failure. Numerous monkeys of several species were flown by the U.S. in the 1950s and 60s. Monkeys were implanted with sensors to measure vital signs, and many were under anesthesia during launch. 1950S On August 31 , 1950 , the U.S. launched a Mouse into space (137 km) aboard a V2 (the Albert V flight, which, unlike the Albert I-IV flights, did not have a monkey). The U.S. launched several other mice in this decade but the first mouse was the only one which survived. On January 29 , 1951 , the Soviet Union launched the R-1 IIIA-1 flight, carrying the Dog s Tsygan (, "Gypsy") and Dezik () into space (but not into orbit). The U.S. launched mice aboard spacecraft later that year; however, they failed to reach the altitude for true spaceflight. The first animal in orbit was the Soviet dog Laika , onboard Sputnik 2 on November 3 , 1957 . Laika died during the flight. At least 10 other dogs were launched into orbit and numerous others on sub-orbital flights (see Russian Space Dogs ) before the historic date of April 12 , 1961 , when Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. On December 13 , 1958 , a Jupiter IRBM , AM-13, was launched from Cape Canaveral , Florida with a U.S. Navy-trained South American Squirrel Monkey named "Gordo" onboard. The nosecone recovery parachute failed to operate and Gordo was lost. Telemetry data sent back during the flight showed that the monkey survived the 10g of launch, 8 minutes of weightlessness and 40g of reentry at 10,000 miles per hour. The nosecone sank 1,302 Nm downrange from Cape Canaveral and was not recovered. Monkey s "Able" and "Baker" became the first monkeys to survive spaceflight after their 1959 flight. On May 28 , 1959 , aboard Jupiter IRBM AM-18, were a 7-pound (3.18 kg) American-born Rhesus Monkey , "Able", and an 11 ounce (310 g) squirrel monkey from Peru, "Baker". The monkeys rode in the nosecone of the missile to an altitude of 360 miles (579 km) and a distance of 1,700 miles (2,735 km) down the Atlantic Missile Range from Cape Canaveral, Florida. They withstood forces 38 times the normal pull of gravity and were weightless for about 9 minutes. A top speed of 10,000 mph (16,093 km/h) was reached during their 16 minute flight. The monkeys survived the flight in good condition. "Able" died four days after the flight from a reaction to anesthesia, while undergoing surgery to remove an infected medical electrode. "Baker" lived until November 29 , 1984 at the US Space And Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama . 1960S On into space. Enos The Chimp became the first non-human primate in orbit on November 29 , 1961 in another Mercury capsule, an Atlas Rocket , Mercury-Atlas 5 . The Soviet Union in the . Accessed May 3, 2007. and Frog s ( Northern Leopard Frog s). France flew the first Rat into space on February 22 , 1961 . Two further rats were flown in October 1962 . France launched Felix the Cat into space on October 18 , 1963 . The cat had electrodes implanted into its head to measure neural impluses. Felix was recovered alive but the next cat in space was not. The final French animal launches were of two monkeys in March 1967 . China launched mice and rats in 1964 and 1965, and two dogs in 1966. Two Russian space dogs, Veterok (Ветерок, "Little Wind") and Ugolyok (Уголёк, "Ember"), were launched on February 22 , 1966 on board Voskhod 3 , and spent 22 days in orbit before landing on March 16 . This spaceflight of record-breaking duration was not surpassed by humans until Skylab 2 in 1974 and still stands as the longest space flight by dogs. The United States launched Biosatellite I in 1966 and Biosatellite I/II in 1967 with fruit flies, Parasitic Wasp s, Flour Beetle s and frog eggs, along with Bacteria , Amoebae , plants and Fungi . The first Tortoise in space (and the first animal of any kind in deep space) was launched September 14 , 1968 by the Soviet Union. The Horsfield's Tortoise was sent on a circumlunar voyage along with Wine Flies , Meal Worm s and other biological specimens. The capsule was recovered at sea on September 21 . The United States launched the monkey Bonny, a macacque, in 1969 on the first multi-day primate mission; it was one of four U.S. monkey missions in the 1960s. The Soviet Union continued launching dogs in this decade. In total in the 1950s and 60s, the Soviet Union launched missions with passenger slots for at least 57 dogs. The actual number of dogs in space is smaller, as some dogs flew more than once. (See Russian Space Dogs ) 1970S ]] Two bullfrogs were launched on a one-way mission on the Orbiting Frog Otolith Satellite on November 9 , 1970 , to better understand space motion sickness. Apollo 16 on April 16 , 1972 carried Nematode s, and Apollo 17 , launched on December 7 , 1972 carried five Pocket Mice , although one died on the circumlunar trip. Skylab 3 carried pocket mice and the first Fish in space (a Mummichog ), and the first Spider s in space ( Cross Spider s named Arabella And Anita ). The U.S. also flew mummichog on the Apollo-Soyuz mission. The Soviets flew a number of Bion Program missions which consisted of satellites with biological cargoes. On these launches they flew tortoises, rats, and Mummichog . On Soyuz 20 , launched November 17 , 1975 , tortoises set the duration record for an animal in space when they spent 90.5 days in space. Salyut 5 on June 22 , 1976 carried tortoises and a fish (a Zebra Danio ). 1980S The Soviet Union sent 8 monkeys into space in the 1980s on Bion flights, while the U.S. sent two aboard Spacelab 3 on the Space Shuttle along with 24 rats and Stick Insect eggs. Bion flights also flew zebra danio, fruit flies, rats, stick insect eggs and the first Newt s in space. After an experiment was lost in the Challenger Disaster , Chicken embryos (fertilized eggs) were sent into space in an experiment on STS-29 in 1989. The experiment was designed for a student contest. 1990S Four monkeys flew aboard the last Bion flights of the Soviet Union as well as frogs and fruit flies. The Foton Program flights carried dormant Brine Shrimp , newts, fruit flies, and Desert Beetle s. ]] China launched guinea pigs in 1990. Timeline: China's Space Quest . CNN Online, Jan. 5, 2004. Accessed May 3, 2007. Toyohiro Akiyama , a Japanese journalist carried Japanese Tree Frog s with him during his trip to the Mir space station in December, 1990 . Other biological experiments aboard Mir involved Quail eggs. Japan launched its first animals, a species of newt, into space on March 18 , 1995 . The U.S., during the 1990s, carried Cricket s, mice, rats, frogs, newts, fruit flies, Snail s, Carp , Medaka , Oyster Toadfish , Sea Urchin s, Swordtail Fish , Gypsy Moth eggs, stick insect eggs and quail eggs aboard Columbia. 2000S The last flight of Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' in 2003 carried Silkworm s, Golden Orb Spider s, Carpenter Bee s, Harvester Ant s, and Japanese Killifish . Nematode s ('' C. Elegans '') from one experiment were found still alive in the debris after the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' Disaster . {Link without Title} ''C. elegans'' are also part of experiments aboard the International Space Station as well as research using quail eggs. Earlier shuttle missions included grade school, junior high and high school projects; some of these included Ant s, stick insect eggs and brine shrimp cysts. Other science missions in the 2000s included gypsy moth eggs. On July 12 , 2006 , Bigelow Aerospace launched their '' Genesis I '' inflatable space module, containing many small items such as toys and simple experiments chosen by company employees that would be observed via camera - these items included insects, perhaps making it the first private flight to launch animals into space. Included were Madagascar Hissing Cockroach es and Mexican Jumping Beans — seeds containing live larva of the moth '' Cydia Deshaisiana ''.1 On June 28 , 2007 , Bigelow launched '' Genesis II '', a near-twin to ''Genesis I''. This spacecraft also carried the Madagascar hissing cockroaches, and added South African flat rock scorpions (''Hadogenes troglodytes'') and Seed-harvester Ants (''Pogonomyrmex californicus'').2 FICTION
: Administrator: "Maybe we should tell them that all those chimps we sent into outer space, really came back super-intelligent." : Chimp: ''Turns around in large chair, smoking pipe.'' "No, I don't think we'll be telling them that!" '' Rollerskate s away''. SEE ALSO REFERENCES L. W. Fraser and E. H. Siegler, High Altitude Research Using the V-2 Rocket, March 1946-April 1947 (Johns Hopkins University, Bumblebee Series Report No. 8, July 1948), p. 90. Kenneth W. Gatland, Development of the Guided Missile (London and New York, 1952), p. 188 Capt. David G. Simons, Use of V-2 Rocket to Convey Primate to Upper Atmosphere (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, AF Technical Report 5821, May 1949), p. 1. Lloyd Mallan, Men, Rockets, and Space Rats (New York, 1955), pp. 84-93. Dr. James P. Henry, et al, "Animal Studies of the Subgravity State during Rocket Flight," Journal of Aviation Medicine, Vol. 23, pp. 421-432 (October, 1952) EXTERNAL LINKS
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