Félicette facts for kids
Inscription: "Thank you for your participation in my success of 18 October 1963"
|
|
| Other name(s) | C 341 |
|---|---|
| Species | Felis catus |
| Sex | Female |
| Died | 1963 |
| Nation from | France |
| Known for | The first cat in space |
| Owner | French government |
| Weight | 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) |
| Appearance | Tuxedo cat |
| Named after | Felix the Cat |
Félicette was a stray cat from Paris, France. She is famous for being the only cat to have successfully traveled into space. This happened on 18 October 1963, as part of the French space program.
Félicette was one of 14 female cats trained for spaceflight. Scientists placed small electrodes on their heads to watch their brain activity during the flight. They also sent small electrical signals to her brain and leg to see how she reacted. Her space capsule landed safely 13 minutes after the rocket launched. Félicette survived the trip. However, she was later put to sleep two months later so scientists could study her brain. This helped them understand how space travel affected living things.
Before her flight, Félicette was known as C 341. After her successful trip, the news media called her Félix, like the cartoon character Félix the Cat. The French space research center (CERMA) changed the name to the feminine Félicette. This became her official name. Félicette has been honored on postage stamps around the world. There is also a statue of her at the International Space University. Before cats, France sent rats into space. After cats, they sent monkeys.
Contents
Animals in Space: A Brief History
Many animals helped scientists learn about space travel before humans went.
- On 14 June 1949, the U.S. sent the first mammal into space. It was a monkey named Albert II.
- On 3 November 1957, the Soviet Union launched Laika, a stray dog, into space. She was the first animal to orbit Earth, but she did not survive the trip.
- On 31 January 1961, the chimpanzee Ham became the first ape to fly into space.
- On 29 November 1961, Enos became the second chimpanzee to orbit Earth.
France started its own rocket program in 1961. They launched a rat named Hector into space on 22 February 1961. This made France the third country to send animals into space. Hector also had electrodes to monitor his brain. After two more rat flights, French scientists wanted to use larger animals. They chose cats because they already had a lot of information about cat brains.
Félicette's Space Mission
Choosing and Training the Cats
In 1963, the French space research center (CERMA) bought 14 cats for their tests. They chose female cats because they were usually calmer. The cats were not given names at first. This was so the scientists would not get too attached to them.
All the cats had small electrodes placed in their brains through surgery. This helped scientists measure their brain activity. The cats' training was similar to how human astronauts train. This included using a machine that spun them around to prepare for the strong forces of a rocket launch. They also practiced staying still in their special containers. The training lasted about two months.
The Space Flight
The launch team started getting ready on 8 October 1963. They tested all the equipment, including the rocket's nose cone and tracking systems.
On 17 October, six cats were chosen as finalists for the flight. A black and white cat named C 341 was picked for the main flight. She weighed about 2.5 kilograms (5.5 lb). C 341 was chosen because she was calm and had the right weight. Scientists attached more electrodes to her legs to check her heart. She already had nine electrodes in her brain. They also glued two electrodes to a front leg to send electrical signals during the flight. Two microphones listened to her breathing.
The rocket used was a Véronique AGI 47. It was a special rocket designed for scientific research.
On 18 October 1963, at 8:09 am, C 341 launched into space from Algeria. It was a short trip, lasting 13 minutes. The rocket engine fired for 42 seconds. C 341 felt strong forces, about 9.5 times the force of gravity. The nose cone separated from the rocket at a height of 152 kilometres (94 mi). The cat then floated without weight for five minutes.
The parachutes opened 8 minutes and 55 seconds after launch. This slowed the capsule down. Thirteen minutes after the rocket started, a helicopter found the capsule. C 341 was recovered safely. This made her the first cat to reach space.
What Scientists Learned
Scientists collected a lot of good information during the flight. They saw that Félicette was alert during the rocket's climb. When she was weightless, her heart rate slowed down, and her breathing became normal. Her heart rate went up again during the bumpy return to Earth.
The media called C 341 "Félix" after the flight. But the research center changed it to Félicette. Two months after her flight, Félicette was put to sleep. This allowed scientists to study her brain and see how space travel affected it.
France launched a second cat into space on 24 October. However, the rocket had problems and crashed. The cat did not survive.
Of the other 12 trained cats, one cat had her electrodes removed because she was not well. She became the group's mascot and was named Scoubidou. The other nine cats were put to sleep at the end of the program.
France continued its animal research with monkeys. They launched Martine on 7 March 1967 and Pierrette six days later. Both monkeys were recovered safely. After these flights, France stopped its own animal space research. However, they later worked with the Soviet Union on similar projects in the 1970s.
Félicette's Legacy
Félicette's flight was a big step for France in the space race. It showed that France could also send living things into space. However, her mission was not as famous as other spaceflights at the time. Some people think this was because photos showed her with electrodes, and the idea of animal rights was becoming more popular.
Some former French colonies have made stamps to remember Félicette's flight. These stamps often used the name Félix.
- Comoros released a stamp in 1992.
- Chad issued stamps in 1997.
- Niger also used the name Félix on a stamp in 1999.
Students at the Université Toulouse III in France plan to name their new student-run observatory after Félicette. It will be the first French observatory managed entirely by students.
Statue to Remember Félicette
Many animals who traveled in space have statues or memorials. For example, the chimpanzee Ham is buried at the New Mexico Museum of Space History. The Soviet dog Laika has a bronze monument in Russia. But for more than 50 years, Félicette did not have a monument.
In 2017, a person named Matthew Serge Guy started a fundraising campaign. He wanted to build a bronze statue of Félicette to honor her. The statue was designed by sculptor Gill Parker. It shows a cat sitting on top of the Earth. In April 2018, the campaign raised enough money.
In April 2019, Guy announced that the statue would be placed at the International Space University in France. The statue was officially revealed on December 18, 2019. It is 1.5-metre (5 ft) tall. It shows Félicette "perched atop Earth, gazing up toward the skies she once traveled." Guy said it was amazing that a video he put online led to this statue.
See also
- Bioastronautics
- List of individual cats
- Monkeys and apes in space
- Soviet space dogs
