Albert II (monkey) facts for kids
Albert II, a male rhesus macaque monkey, made history as the first primate and first mammal to travel into space. He launched from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, United States, on June 14, 1949. His journey took him 83 miles (134 km) high aboard a special V-2 sounding rocket. This type of rocket was used to study the upper atmosphere.
Albert II's flight was managed by the Alamogordo Guided Missile Test Base, with help from Holloman Air Force Base. This mission happened after an earlier attempt with another monkey, Albert I. Albert I likely died before his flight on June 11, 1948. That flight was supposed to go about 39 mi (63 km) high. After Albert I's mission, the space capsule was changed. It was made larger because Albert I's space had been too small.
Sadly, Albert II died when his capsule returned to Earth. A problem with the parachute caused the capsule to hit the ground very fast. Scientists were able to record his breathing and heart rate until the moment of impact.
The First Space Travelers
Before Albert II, the only known living beings to travel into space were fruit flies. The United States launched these flies in a V-2 rocket on February 20, 1947. This was a suborbital flight, meaning it went into space but did not orbit Earth. The good news was that the flies were recovered alive after their journey.
See also
- Monkeys and apes in space
- Animals in space
- Alice King Chatham, who designed Albert II's oxygen mask and harness
- Laika, a Russian space dog, the first animal to orbit the Earth (November 3, 1957)
- Ham, a chimpanzee, the first great ape in space (January 31, 1961)
- Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space and first primate to orbit the Earth (April 12, 1961)
- Enos, the first chimpanzee and third primate to orbit the Earth (November 29, 1961)
