The cat returns free online11/11/2022 ![]() ![]() On 17 October, six feline finalists were selected as candidates for the flight, and a tuxedo cat with the designation C 341 was chosen for the flight on launch day, along with a backup. There were issues testing the homing beacon on the 14th and 15th, but all of the electronics functioned to a satisfactory level on 16 October. On the 12th, the telemetry in the nose cone was unsuccessfully tested, followed by a successful test the next day. On 11 October, the heading beacon was tested by placing it in a helicopter and tracking it with ground stations. The launch crew began preparing at the launch site on 8 October 1963. The animals trained for about two months this limit was set by the risk of electrode polarization. Cat-specific training included confinement in their container and experience withstanding the restraint cloth. This was carried out by CERMA and included using the high-G centrifuge three-axis chair with simulated rocket noise. Some of the cats' spaceflight training was similar to training for humans. ![]() All of the cats had permanent electrodes surgically implanted into their brain to assess neurological activity. ![]() The cats were unnamed prior to the launch to reduce the likelihood that the scientists would become attached to them. In 1963, Centre d'Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique (CERMA) purchased 14 cats from a pet dealer for the testing, with the individual animals selected based on their temperament all of the cats were female, for their calmer demeanor. French scientists wanted to use larger mammals and chose cats, since they already had a significant amount of neurological data on them. Two further rockets with rat payloads followed, on 15 and 18 October. Hector had electrodes implanted on his skull so neurological activity could be monitored. France's base in the Sahara launched a rat named Hector on 22 February 1961, causing France to become the third country to launch animals into space. Flights of the Véronique rocket had been reinstated in 1959 and were run by the Comité des Recherches Spatiales (CRS). On 29 November 1961, Enos became the second chimpanzee launched into space, and third hominid after cosmonauts Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov, to achieve Earth orbit. On 31 January 1961, as part of Project Mercury, the chimpanzee Ham became the first hominid launched into space for a suborbital flight. Brazilian Army colonel Manuel dos Santos Lage planned to launch a cat named Flamengo aboard the Félix I rocket on 1 January 1959, but the flight was cancelled over ethical concerns regarding the use of a cat. She died in space, but was the first animal to orbit the Earth. On 3 November 1957, the Soviet Union launched Laika, a stray dog found on the streets of Moscow, into space on Sputnik 2. France's feline biological rocket payloads were preceded by rats and followed by monkeys. She has been commemorated on postage stamps around the world and a statue with her likeness is on display at the International Space University. A second feline was killed in a launch mishap on 24 October 1963.įélicette had the designation of C 341 before the flight, and after the flight the media gave her the name Félix, after Félix the Cat.Ĭentre d'Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique (CERMA) modified this to the feminine Félicette and adopted it as her official name. Most of the data from the mission were of good quality, and Félicette survived the flight. The capsule was recovered 13 minutes after the rocket was ignited. Electrical impulses were applied to the brain and a leg during the flight to stimulate responses. The cats had electrodes implanted onto their skulls so their neurological activity could be monitored throughout the flight. Félicette was one of 14 female cats trained for spaceflight. She was launched on 18 October 1963 as part of the French space program. Inscription: Thank you for your participation in my success of 18 October 1963 įélicette ( French pronunciation: ) was a stray Parisian cat who was the only cat successfully launched into space. ![]()
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