Felicette is the only cat that has ever been in space and survived (1963). It was the first one sent into space cat.
Space mission
Cats were launched into space only in the space program France. In total, fourteen cats were tested in 1963. (centrifuge, compression chamber, etc.).
The cat was sent into space on October 18, 1963 at 8 o’clock 9 minutes on the French research rocket Veronica-47. Felicette was a black and white cat matched in the streets. Paris
The launch with the cat was not orbital and lasted 15 minutes, reaching a height of 97 miles. After successful parachuting and touchdown capsule, the cat Felicetta was removed from it unscathed. Called in the newspapers an “astro-cat”, Felicette for a long time became the main topic of discussion in France.
An interesting fact is that the main “pilot” for the launch was another cat is approved, namely the cat Felix. However, before himself with the launch he fled and was promptly replaced by Felicetta.
The second experiment with the launch of the cat, conducted on October 24, turned out to be unsuccessful. In the returned capsule, the command on descent, so she returned to Earth only after 2 days, when the animal inside was already dead.
The Veronica rocket was developed using a German rocket times of World War II, and later became French booster Diamond. The first Veronica rocket was developed in 1957 for biological research. Seven of the Fifteen Rockets used to run animals.
