This day in history we feature, the first monkey launched into outer space on this day.
Trivia – First Monkey in Space
Albert II, a male rhesus macaque, became the first primate and the first mammal to be launched into space on this day in 1949.
He flew to an altitude of 83 miles aboard a U.S. V-2 sounding rocket and claimed the title of the first monkey, first primate, and first mammal in space as his flight reached 134 km – past the Kármán line of 100 km which designates the beginning of space.
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A total of 32 monkeys have flown in space, including rhesus macaques, cynomolgus monkeys, squirrel monkeys and pig-tailed monkeys. Chimpanzees are also known to have flown.
This day in history – First Monkey in Space