A (Very) Brief History of Cats in Space

When animals were first being sent to space, the focus was simply on seeing if life could survive such a harsh environment. The animals selected for flight were smaller creatures that wouldn't take up much space onboard a rocket, nor carry too much weight. When France sent their first animal to space in February 1961, they followed the same line of thinking, choosing to launch a rat called Hector. This mission made France the third country to launch an animal to space (after Russia and the United States).

Once finding that life could indeed survive spaceflight, space agencies began looking at animals that were slightly larger and, perhaps slightly closer, in biology, to humans. This led to the landmark flights of Laika the dog and Ham the chimpanzee. Once again, France were no different, this time deciding to send a cat. A team of French neuroscientists had been studying cats' brain activity, so it seemed like a perfect fit to study how this brain activity changed in space.

In total, 14 cats were selected to train for this mission. This training primarily involved seeing how these cats coped being confined to a small area, as they would be onboard the rocket, and the effects of simulated G-forces using a centrifuge. Out of these feline astronaut candidates, a small black-and-white tuxedo cat was eventually chosen by the scientists. This cat, designated C341 during her training, would be the first of her kind to go to space.

More than 60 years have passed since Félicette's flight. In those 60 years, she has unfortunately received much less fanfare than other animal astronauts. Many people don't know that a cat has been to space at all! France never went on to successfully launch any more cats to space -- nor did any other country -- and Félicette's mission remains one of a kind to this day. 

In 2019, a statue in Félicette's honour was erected at the International Space University (ISU) in France. The statue was crowd-funded in a campaign organised by Matthew Serge Guy, who at the time was working as a creative director in London. The unveiling ceremony was performed by ISU graduates and ESA astronauts, including British astronaut Helen Sharman. The statue, designed by sculptor Gill Parker, shows Félicette perched on top of planet Earth, gazing up at the sky. The statue serves to immortalise her journey, and I hope that in the years to come, people will remember the story of a brave little cat named Félicette.