Top 10 animal astronauts in space
- By Lin Liyao
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E-mail China.org.cn, November 22, 2011
Mice
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Some of the earliest animals in space were mice. |
Year: 1950, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1967, 2010
Country: United States, the Soviet Union, France, China, Argentina, Iran
The first mouse astronaut was launched on August 31, 1950, aboard an American V-2 rocket. However, the rocket was destroyed on its return to Earth after the parachute system failed. The mouse was killed on impact. In March 1961, after a gap of almost a decade, the Soviet Union launched mice aboard the Vostok 3A flights.
In February 1961, France flew the first rat, named Hector, into space, and after flying to a height of 93 miles, Hector was successfully recovered. Two more French rats were flown into space the following year.
On July 19, 1964, China's first biological rocket, T-7AS1, was launched successfully, with several mice on board. Then, in Aril 1967, Argentina sent Belisario, the rat aboard an Orion II rocket launched from Cordoba military range. Belisario was recovered alive.
Iran became the latest country to send a mouse into space, launching a Kavoshgar 3 rocket on February 3, 2010. The mouse returned to Earth alive.
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