When we think of “star gazing” we don’t always think about the animals that got a first-hand look at the stars thanks to their human caretakers. These days we are induced by the media to only remember the many historical moments of man’s greatness, as men were sent into space and NASA became the darling of an American public. But, what about those animals that led the way for their human stewards?

The United States was the first country to send the first creatures from earth, which happened to be fruit flies, into space in 1947 to see what effects radiation exposure would have on them at a high altitude. That was followed in 1949 with the successful launch of a V2 rocket carrying a Rhesus monkey named Albert II, (because Albert I didn’t make it), making him the first monkey in space. However, Albert II suffered a fatal injury when the craft parachute failed to open on re-entry. The U.S. continued to send monkeys into space until 1961 when Ham the Chimp made headlines speeding into space in his Mercury capsule, pulling levers and showing the ability to perform tasks in space flight. Later that year, Enos became the first chimp to orbit earth. And between the two chimps, the U.S. launched Alan Shepherd into space in his Mercury capsule. Hmmm, that makes you think, doesn’t it!

While the U.S. was launching monkeys and mice, Russia was launching dogs. In 1951, Russia launched a rocket with their dogs, Tsygan and Dezik which flew into space, but did not orbit and returned home safely with both pooches alive and well. The first animal to orbit the earth was the Russian dog, Laika aboard Sputnik 2, who subsequently died during the flight. Many other dogs were to follow. But, it was the dogs Belka and Strelka that flew on Sputnik 5 into earth orbit and returned home safely. One of Strelka’s pups was given to Caroline Kennedy by Nikita Kruschev in 1961. All total, Russian dogs rode 57 times into space.

No matter the loss, both the United States and Russia continued to send animals up on newer, improved rockets with newer, improved monitoring devices. Other animals that saw the early years of space travel were: Gordo the Squirrel monkey – Veterok and Ugolyok, Russian dogs with the longest space flight for dogs ever, 22 days – Able a Rhesus monkey – Baker another Squirrel monkey – Felix the cat from France ; and rats, guinea pigs, bullfrogs and a tortoise.

Animals provided their invaluable service to man’s thirst for space travel, sometimes paying with their lives. Today, to show for it, man has walked on the moon, he has landed spacecrafts on Mars and sent scientific gathering spacecraft out into our solar system and beyond. Yet, man is still relegated to circling his planet in Space Shuttles or the soon to be finished space station, bringing along some familiar “space travelers,” rats and mice, but adding the new breed, fish, insects and quail eggs. But still, no colonies on the moon. And just this February, Iran became the newest country into space, launching Kavoshgar 3 rocket with a mouse, two turtles and some worms, all which returned home safely.

Space travel is still in its infancy, no matter how one looks at it. 2001: A Space Odyssey doesn’t look as far away as it did, but Jupiter isn’t on the arrival docket yet. In true humility, we should view our current state in astro-physics.

Lord, we give you thanks for the animals that were and have been so instrumental for our knowledge of space travel. May mankind always remember that all things are gift and governance of a heavenly heritage given him by his Creator.

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