Yahoo! Answers

Hey Guys,

There are a lot of questions in Yahoo! Answers about the first person in space. For the record it was Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union, who went to space in 1961. But not all great astronauts walk on two feet. Some have four legs, fur, and a deeply rooted desire to lick themselves.

By 1961, outer space was old news to animals. The first animal to travel to outer space was a Russian dog named Laika. She was rocketed skyward in 1957. She died during the trip, but that didn’t stop other dogs from following in her pawsteps.

After Laika’s ill-fated journey, the Soviet Union enlisted other canine cosmonauts. Sputnik 5 was “manned” by Strelka and Belka, two brave pups. They were the first dogs to survive a trip in orbit. Sputnik 9, which launched in 1961, also featured a dog, this time named Chernushka. This dog shared the rocket with some mice and a guinea pig.

The United States went a different route when it came to choosing animal astronauts. Instead of sending man’s best friend to explore the final frontier, the Americans enlisted monkeys for the job. The first American animal (not counting mice) to break the confines of the atmosphere was a squirrel monkey named Gordo (like Laika, Gordo died during the journey). Ol’ Gordo was followed by other monkeys named Able, Baker, Sam, Miss Sam, Ham, and Enos. Ham was the first chimpanzee to visit space, and made headlines when he shook hands with the commander of the recovery ship.

You might think that animals in space are a thing of the past. But non-human astronauts are still a relatively common occurrence. Earlier this year, Iran sent a rodent, two turtles and some worms into space. They all returned to Earth alive and well. And all owe a debt of gratitude to the brave creatures who paved the way, whether they wanted to or not.

Now, a question for those of you with pets. Do you think your cat, dog, turtle, snake, or goldfish would make a good astronaut? If so, why? If not, why not?

Thanks for reading,

Mike

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