May 2, 2009

Posted by in current, history

Astronauts remember their primate predecessors

During the Mercury space program, the astronuts didn’t like having their spaceflights delayed while chimps got to fly first. And, they really resented the notion that their missions could have been completed by chimps.

Nonetheless, Mercury veteran Scott Carpenter (one of only two surviving Mercury astronauts) and Bob Crippen—who flew on the first shuttle mission—visited a sanctuary for chimps that includes descendents of NASA’s early space primates.

Able getting ready for flight

Able getting ready for flight

Pioneers remembered

The “famous” chimps are dead. Able and Baker, who flew on a Jupiter rocket to a height of 50 miles in 1959 are gone. Able died shortly after his flight; he was preserved and can be seen today on display at the National Air & Space Museum. Baker lived until 1984. They were the first living creatures to return alive from a trip into space…well, sorta. In 1959, the official definition of space said it started at a height of 50 miles. Now, the definition of space starts at 62 miles.

Ham’s shocking flight

Ham and Enos flew Mercury spacecraft. Ham was a bit ornery upon recovery; due to a malfunction, he got shocked even when he pulled the “right” levers during his flight. Both of these chimps are also gone.

Of his trip with Crippen to the animal preserve, Carpenter said “”We’re paying them back for their service.”

  • Volker

    Sorry to set the record straight. Able and Baker are legend, but they were not the first living creatures to return alive from a trip into space. not by a long shot.

    The first animals sent into space were fruit flies launched with a recovered V2 rocket on February 20, 1947. The rocket reached an altitude of 68 miles. The return capsule was recovered and the fruit flies were still alive.

    In the 1950, several mice were launched and recovered, using american V2 rockets.

    The first soviet dogs on a suborbital flight were Tsygan and Dezik, launched and recovered on January 29, 1951, using an R I rocket.

    Then, after the tragic loss of monkey Gordo on December 13, 1958, came the hour of Able and Baker. And though it was not intended to send them into orbit, they sure reached space: They rode to an altitude of 360 miles, withstood forces up to 38g and were weightless for about 9 minutes. (That’s a lot more than Al Shepard did a couple of years later).

    They may not have been the first animals in space, but they were the first monkeys. and the were the fist living beings to experience an extended period of weightlessness and lived to “talk” about it. and for that, they were true pioneers!

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