For seventy years, animals have been brought—or launched—into space from time to time. The first animals to technically reach space were fruit flies, which were launched in a rocket in 1947. The fruit flies all made it back alive, having traveled nearly 70 miles up in the air. Albert II was the first mammal sent into space. He was a Rhesus monkey sent on a V-2 rocket launched by the United States in 1949. Unfortunately, as the result of a logistical failure, Albert II did not survive.
The Soviet Union sent the first dog to outer space in 1951, but the first dog launched into orbit didn’t come until 1957. Laika was a husky that was launched aboard Sputnik 2. A rescue dog that had been found on the streets of Moscow, she died when she ran out of oxygen. Three years later, the Soviet Union tried again. Then sent two dogs, Belka and Strelka, into orbit, along with mice, rats, and a rabbit. This time, all of the animals returned alive and safe.
The first chimpanzee launched into space was named Ham. Trained by NASA, Ham could pull a lever to release bananas to eat and was sent into space in 1961. As of 2015, 32 monkeys have been sent into space. Other animals that have been to space over the years include spiders, cats, frogs, cockroaches, and guinea pigs. The excitement about animals making it to outer space died down once the first man stepped foot on the moon, but animals continue to be sent into space for the sake of research.