## Fuzzy space travelers

Before people could leave the cradle of humanity and enter the cosmic void, tests were required. Many animals risked and sometimes lost their lives to pave the way to the stars for humankind.

Animal spaceflight started in the late 1940s. The initial launches used German A4 rockets, but later on each country developed its own carriers. Simian, canine, and rodent space farers were the most important test subjects during the first stage of the space race, before launching human astronauts. However, animal spaceflight is very much a thing even today. In 2018, a rodent crew arrived at the International Space Station!

Animal astronauts by country of origin
American: Fruit flies; primates first flew in the 1940s. The most memorable was Ham, a chimpanzee. | Soviet: Mostly dogs, sent to space since the 1950s. The most memorable was Laika, who died during the first part of the journey.
French: Rats and cats (1960s). Félicette was the most notable one and the only French cat that survived the landing. | Chinese: Mice, rats, and dogs (1960s).