Planet Forward: Smart people, smart iedas. Online and on TV.

50 Years of Space Monkeys

Posted by Janelle Nanos on June 3, 2009
(4)
More »

090528-03-space-monkey-sam_big.jpgThis week marks the anniversary of some serious intrepid traveling: NASA successfully launched the first monkeys into space 50 years ago. Two rhesus monkeys named Miss Baker and Able were launched in a Jupiter AM-18 rocket, and National Geographic’s Breaking Orbit blog reports that “they reached to a height of 360 miles (579 kilometers) before plummeting back to Earth to land in the ocean.” Scientists found the heroic “monkeynauts” alive and well and they were immediately taken to Washington for a press conference.

National Geographic News has a fantastic “monkeynaut” slide show documenting their role in the development of space travel, and reports that “although humans have been making space voyages since 1961, animals have continued to play a role in international space tests. In addition to monkeys, animals that have gone into space in the name of science include dogs, cats, fruit flies, rabbits, turtles, spiders, jellyfish, and amoebas.” And now, with the help of Richard Branson, all of us may be able to follow in their path.

My question is, what did the monkeys think of all this? This particular guy looks pretty confused by the whole thing. Got a caption for the photo? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo: Courtesy of NASA

Keywords: , , , , ,
(4)
More »

Related Links

Comments

  1. Adventure Vacation
    June 3, 2009, 1:24 pm

    A friend of mine has a theory, he thinks that 1/3 of all the space monkeys died up but the other 2/3 had there higher brain functions mutated to super genius levels because of the radiation in the Van Allen radiation belt, he thinks they left earth’s orbit and set up a base on the moon and plot the down fall of mankind.
    needless to say my friend watches too much power puff girls, because he is obsessed with Mojo Jojo.

  2. Helena Handbasket
    June 3, 2009, 1:51 pm

    You call this a space suit? And you thought I was the one who was not evolved…

  3. Doug McCaughan
    June 3, 2009, 2:00 pm

    “I had this dream that I was a banana.”

  4. Greenapt
    June 4, 2009, 11:58 am

    Primates were also used as crash test dummies.
    Could there be anything more cruel?
    Why is it that humans think every other living creature is below them?
    I hope for a day while I am alive that all living creatures are safe from human exploit.
    No more testing on them, no more hunting for trophy, no more eradicating of their habitats, no more skinning alive for fur, no more chained to a pole for life, no more clubbed to death, no more….