Sixty years ago, the French embarked on an unconventional journey into space by sending the first cat, a Parisian stray named Félicette, beyond Earth’s atmosphere. This remarkable event, set to mark its 60th anniversary, has never been repeated.
During the early 1960s, dogs and monkeys were the typical candidates for testing the effects of outer space conditions and assessing human survivability in space travel. While Russia preferred dogs, the US generally used monkeys.
However, France took a unique approach by gathering 14 stray cats, deliberately not giving them names to prevent emotional attachment. The selected feline astronaut was simply known as C341.
After the news of C341’s flight aboard a Veronique rocket on October 18, 1963, and her safe return to Earth, the French press christened her “Félix,” after the cartoon cat character. Later, they discovered C341 was female, so her name was adjusted to Félicette.
Félicette’s inclusion in a rocket expanded the list of animals used for space experiments, a practice that had been ongoing since the late 1940s when fruit flies were the first creatures sent beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
In the 1950s, monkeys and dogs went on sub-orbital missions, paving the way for human space exploration. While some animals tragically perished during these missions, others returned safely.
Today, stricter rules govern animal use in space experiments, and research focuses on the long-term effects of space travel and the impacts of microgravity on lifeforms. For instance, the International Space Station is used to study how gravity affects organisms, including plants and mice.
One of the most astonishing feats of space survival was demonstrated by tardigrades, microscopic invertebrates known for their extreme resilience. In the Tardis experiment, 68% of these creatures survived exposure to the harsh conditions of space.
Although Félicette survived her spaceflight, she met an unfortunate end, being euthanized for post-flight studies. Despite the lack of significant findings, Félicette is remembered today with a statue erected in her honor at the International Space University in Strasbourg in 2019.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
