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Félicette () was a stray Parisian cat that became the first feline launched into space on 18October 1963 as part of the
French space program The French space program includes both commercial spaceflight, civil and military spaceflight activities. It is the third oldest national space program in the world, after the Soviet space program, Soviet (now Roscosmos, Russian) and Space policy ...
. She was one of 14 female cats trained for spaceflight. The cats had
electrodes An electrode is an electrical conductor used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit (e.g. a semiconductor, an electrolyte, a vacuum or a gas). In electrochemical cells, electrodes are essential parts that can consist of a variety ...
implanted into their skulls to monitor their neurological activity throughout the flight. During the flight, electrical impulses were applied to the brain and a leg to stimulate responses. The capsule was recovered 13 minutes after the rocket was ignited. Most of the data from the mission was of good quality, and Félicette survived the flight but was
euthanised Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from ; "good death") is the act of killing an animal humanely, most commonly with injectable drugs. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases, lack of resources to con ...
two months later for the examination of her brain. Félicette was designated C 341 before the flight, and after the flight, the media gave her the name Félix, after Félix the Cat. (CERMA) modified this to the feminine Félicette and adopted it as her official name. Postage stamps worldwide commemorated her, and a statue with her likeness is on display at the
International Space University The International Space University (ISU) is a higher education institute headquartered in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, a suburb of Strasbourg, France. It is dedicated to the discovery, research, and development of outer space and its applications f ...
. France's feline biological rocket payloads were preceded by rats and followed by monkeys.


Background

On 14 June 1949, a
U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
suborbital flight carried the first mammal into space, a Rhesus monkey named Albert II. On 3November 1957, the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
launched
Laika Laika ( ; , ; – 3 November 1957) was a Soviet space dog who was one of the first animals in space and the first to orbit the Earth. A stray mongrel from the streets of Moscow, she flew aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft, launched into lo ...
, a stray dog found on the streets of Moscow, into space on
Sputnik 2 Sputnik 2 (, , ''Satellite 2'', or Prosteyshiy Sputnik 2 (PS-2, , ''Simplest Satellite 2'', launched on 3 November 1957, was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, and the first to carry an animal into orbit, a Soviet space dog named ...
. She died in space but was the first animal to orbit the Earth. Brazilian Army colonel Manuel dos Santos Lage planned to launch a cat named Flamengo aboard the Félix I rocket on 1 January 1959, but the flight was cancelled over ethical concerns regarding the use of a cat. On 31January 1961, as part of
Project Mercury Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race, its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely, ideally before the Soviet Un ...
, the chimpanzee
Ham Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term '' ...
became the first
hominid The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: '' Pongo'' (the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan); '' Gorilla'' (the ...
launched into space for a suborbital flight. On 29November 1961, Enos became the second chimpanzee launched into space, and third
hominid The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: '' Pongo'' (the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan); '' Gorilla'' (the ...
after
cosmonaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member of a spa ...
s
Yuri Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin; Gagarin's first name is sometimes transliterated as ''Yuriy'', ''Youri'', or ''Yury''. (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who, aboard the first successful Human spaceflight, crewed sp ...
and Gherman Titov, to achieve Earth orbit. The French rocket program began in 1961. Flights of the Véronique rocket had been reinstated in 1959 and were run by the Comité des Recherches Spatiales (CRS). France's base in the Sahara launched a rat named Hector on 22February 1961, causing France to become the third country to launch animals into space. Hector had
electrode An electrode is an electrical conductor used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit (e.g. a semiconductor, an electrolyte, a vacuum or a gas). In electrochemical cells, electrodes are essential parts that can consist of a varie ...
s implanted on his skull so neurological activity could be monitored. Two rockets with rat payloads followed on 15 and 18October. French scientists wanted to use larger mammals and chose cats since they already had significant neurological data.


Mission


Selection and training

In 1963, (CERMA) purchased 14 cats from a pet dealer for testing, with the individual animals selected based on their temperament; all of the cats were female, for their calmer demeanor. The cats were unnamed before the launch to reduce the likelihood that the scientists would become attached to them. All of the cats had permanent electrodes surgically implanted into their brain to assess neurological activity. Some of the cats' spaceflight training was similar to training for humans. This was carried out by CERMA and included using the high-G centrifuge three-axis chair with simulated rocket noise. Cat-specific training included confinement in their container and experience withstanding the restraint cloth. The animals trained for about two months; this limit was set by the risk of electrode polarization.


Flight

The crew began preparing at the launch site on 8October 1963. On 11October, the heading beacon was tested by placing it in a helicopter and tracking it with ground stations. On the 12th, the
telemetry Telemetry is the in situ collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Greek roots ''tele'', 'far off', an ...
in the
nose cone A nose cone is the conically shaped forwardmost section of a rocket, guided missile or aircraft, designed to modulate oncoming fluid dynamics, airflow behaviors and minimize aerodynamic drag. Nose cones are also designed for submerged wat ...
was unsuccessfully tested, followed by a successful test the next day. There were issues testing the homing beacon on the 14th and 15th, but all electronics functioned satisfactorily on 16 October. On 17October, six feline finalists were selected as candidates for the flight, and a tuxedo cat with the designation C341 was chosen for the flight on launch day, along with a backup. Weighing in at , C341 was selected as the best of the six finalists due to her calm demeanor and appropriate weight. Electrodes were attached to her forward left and right rear leg to monitor cardiac activity. Nine electrodes had previously been implanted on her skull: two in the front sinus, one in the somatic area, two in the ventral hippocampal, two in the reticular area, and two in the association cortex. Two electrodes were glued to a foreleg so electrical impulses could be used to stimulate them during the flight. Two
microphone A microphone, colloquially called a mic (), or mike, is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and publi ...
s, one on her chest and one on the nose cone of the rocket, monitored her breathing. The launch vehicle used was the Véronique AGI47
sounding rocket A sounding rocket or rocketsonde, sometimes called a research rocket or a suborbital rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The rockets are often ...
, made in Vernon, Haute-Normandie. The Véronique rocket came from the German World War II Aggregate rocket family, developed for
International Geophysical Year The International Geophysical Year (IGY; ), also referred to as the third International Polar Year, was an international scientific project that lasted from 1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War w ...
() in 1957 for biological research. On 18October 1963 at 8:09am, C341 was launched into space from the Centre interarmées d'essais d'engins spéciaux site in
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
. The mission was a sub-orbital flight and lasted 13 minutes. The rocket engine burned for 42seconds on ascent and C341 experienced 9.5  g of acceleration. The nose cone separated from the rocket before reaching a height of and the cat was subjected to five minutes of weightlessness. Prior to parachute deployment, spin and vibration on the nose cone caused 7 g of acceleration. The parachutes deployed 8 minutes and 55 seconds into the launch, applying 9 g. Thirteen minutes after the rocket was ignited, a helicopter arrived at the payload. C341 was recovered safely, and the mission made her the first cat to reach space.


Results and aftermath

High-quality data was recorded throughout the flight, other than the reticular measurements and data recorded during reentry. Electrical shocks were administered to C341 at a higher rate than intended. She was vigilant during the ascent phase due to being a payload in a rocket. Her heart rate slowed during the
microgravity Weightlessness is the complete or near-complete absence of the sensation of weight, i.e., zero apparent weight. It is also termed zero g-force, or zero-g (named after the g-force) or, incorrectly, zero gravity. Weight is a measurement of the fo ...
phase, and her breathing became nominal. The turbulent reentry caused her heart rate to rise, but poor data made it difficult to analyze. The flight's biological data were given to the media, who named C341 "Félix" after the Félix the Cat cartoon series. CERMA changed it to the feminine Félicette and adopted the name as official. Félicette was euthanized two months after the launch so that scientists could perform a necropsy to examine her brain. The French launched a second cat into space on 24October. An explosive bolt that would release the rocket from the launch pad failed to function, causing the rocket to launch at an extreme angle. The radio
transponder In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''. In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...
stopped working on the launch pad, which created difficulties in finding the rocket. A helicopter spotted the parachute but could not land, so the agency dispatched ground vehicles. They were unable to get past some barbed wire. The next day, a helicopter was again dispatched and was able to land at the site. The nose cone where the payload was housed was heavily damaged, and the cat had died. Of the remaining 12 cats that were trained, the fate of 11 is known. One cat's health deteriorated after the electrode surgery, so the scientists removed them. The group adopted her as their mascot and named her Scoubidou, as she had a
scoubidou Scoubidou (Craftlace, scoobies, lanyard, gimp, or boondoggle) is material used in knotting craft. It originated in France, where it became a fad in the late 1950s and has remained popular. It is named after the 1958 Scoubidou (song), song of the ...
braid around her neck, a popular style at the time. The other nine cats were euthanized at the end of the program. France continued its biological payload research, changing to monkeys. A monkey known as Martine was launched on 7March 1967 and Pierrette six days later. They were both successfully recovered. France concluded biological payload research at the national level with these flights but later worked on biological payloads with the Soviet Union in the 1970s.


Legacy

According to an article in
Space.com Space.com is an online publication focused on outer space, space exploration, astronomy, skywatching and entertainment, with editorial teams based in the United States and United Kingdom. Launched on July 20, 1999, the website offers live coverag ...
on 8November 2017, the participation of Félicette in the space race "... was certainly not voluntary, but it was a huge milestone for France, which had just established the world's third civilian space agency (after the Soviet Union and the U.S.). Félicette's mission helped bring France into the space race." Félicette's flight was much less popular than other spaceflights at the time. Burgess and Dubbs believe this is due to photos of her with electrodes implanted on her skull and the new
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have Moral patienthood, moral worth independent of their Utilitarianism, utility to humans, and that their most basic interests—such as ...
movement. Former French colonies have created stamps to commemorate Félicette's flight.
Comoros The Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, is an archipelagic country made up of three islands in Southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Moroni, ...
released a stamp in 1992 as one of a series of stamps featuring animals involved in spaceflight; the stamp used the name ''Félix''. In 1997, postage stamps commemorating Félicette and other animals in space were issued in
Chad Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...
, again using the name ''Félix''. A 1999 stamp in
Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
also used ''Félix''. The UPS student astronomy club at Université ToulouseIII will name its future
astronomical observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysics, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. Th ...
in honor of Félicette. It will be the first French observatory entirely managed by students and was due to open in 2021. The 500 mm Dall-Kirkham telescope (3500 mm
focal length The focal length of an Optics, optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light; it is the Multiplicative inverse, inverse of the system's optical power. A positive focal length indicates that a system Converge ...
) will be housed in a motorized dome 3.90m in diameter.


Memorial statue

While some non-human animals which traveled in space were celebrated as heroes—the chimpanzee
Ham Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term '' ...
was buried at the
International Space Hall of Fame The New Mexico Museum of Space History is a museum and planetarium complex in Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States, dedicated to artifacts and displays related to space flight and the Space Age. It includes the International Space Hall of Fam ...
in
New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
, U.S., and the Soviet dog
Laika Laika ( ; , ; – 3 November 1957) was a Soviet space dog who was one of the first animals in space and the first to orbit the Earth. A stray mongrel from the streets of Moscow, she flew aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft, launched into lo ...
has a bronze monument at the
Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center The Yuri A. Gagarin State Scientific Research-and-Testing Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC; Russian: Центр подготовки космонавтов имени Ю. А. Гагарина) is a Russian training facility responsible for tra ...
, near Star City in Russia—more than 50 years after her mission there was no monument for Félicette. Then, in 2017 a crowdfunding campaign was started by Matthew Serge Guy to erect a bronze statue of Félicette to commemorate her contribution to science. The statue was designed by sculptor Gill Parker. The preliminary design depicted a cat on top of the Earth, and a plaque featuring the names of significant donors was to be included. In April 2018, the project met its £40,000 funding target. In April 2019, Guy announced that the statue was to be located in Eastern France at the
International Space University The International Space University (ISU) is a higher education institute headquartered in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, a suburb of Strasbourg, France. It is dedicated to the discovery, research, and development of outer space and its applications f ...
. The statue was unveiled on 18 December 2019, as a part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the University's Master of Space Studies program. It is tall and depicts Félicette "perched atop Earth, gazing up toward the skies she once traveled". Guy wrote in a Kickstarter update, "It's crazy to think a video I put online... has resulted in this. The internet's an alright place sometimes."


See also

*
Bioastronautics Bioastronautics is a specialty area of biological and astronautical research which encompasses numerous aspects of biological, behavioral, and medical concern governing humans and other living organisms in outer space; and includes the design o ...
*
List of individual cats This is a list of individual cats who have achieved some degree of popularity or notability. Before the modern era * Nedjem or Nojem (Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''nḏm'' "Sweet One" or "Sweetie"), 15th century BC. The cat of Puimre, second p ...
* List of microorganisms tested in outer space *
Monkeys and apes in space Before Human spaceflight, humans went into space in the 1960s, several other animals in space, animals were launched into space, including numerous other primates, so that scientists could investigate the biological effects of spaceflight. The ...
*
Soviet space dogs During the 1950s and 1960s the Soviet space program used dogs for sub-orbital and Orbital spaceflight, orbital space flights to determine whether human spaceflight was feasible. The Soviet space program typically used female dogs due to the ...
*
Zond 5 Zond 5 () was a spacecraft of the Soviet Zond program. In September 1968 it became the first spaceship to travel to and circle the Moon in a circumlunar trajectory, the first Moon mission to include animals, and the first to return safely to Ea ...
, the first animals to circle the Moon (tortoises and insects) *
Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, and Phooey Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, and Phooey were five mice who traveled to the Moon and circled it 75 times on the 1972 Apollo 17 mission. NASA gave them identification numbers A3305, A3326, A3352, A3356, and A3400, and their nicknames were given by the Apollo 1 ...
, mice who orbited the Moon on
Apollo 17 Apollo 17 (December 7–19, 1972) was the eleventh and final mission of NASA's Apollo program, the sixth and most recent time humans have set foot on the Moon. Commander Gene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt walked on the Moon, ...
and were euthanized for research purposes upon their return


References


Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Felicette 1963 in spaceflight Animals in space Individual animals in France Individual cats Space program of France 1963 animal deaths Animal deaths by euthanasia Cat monuments