Last week, I forgot to write about the first feline who went to space after a dog and I figure a couple chimps or monkeys.
The kitty’s name was Félicette, one of many strays rounded up from Paris and drafted into France’s space program. She went on to be the only cat ever sent beyond what is classified as the borderline between our atmosphere and space (100 km/62 miles); Félicette went 154km, setting the record for cats too!
She landed safely back on Earth but sadly, Félicette was euthanized after two months for an autopsy to see if going to space did anything to her anatomy. Obviously it didn’t! If she could’ve reproduced, they should’ve let her, then Félicette would have descendants to carry on her legacy. She finally got her overdue recognition in 2019! The International Space University at Strasbourg dedicated a statue to Félicette (shown above); I was hoping the globe she sits on would be much larger.