On October 18, 1963, a cat went into space! Félicette was a French “catstronaut” who became the first and only feline to fly into space. While the United States and the Soviet Union were busy launching primates, dogs and humans, the French decided to join the space race by launching a cat. Félicette, a stray tuxedo cat from Paris, replaced another cat named Félix, who somehow escaped on launch day. So Félicette went where no cat had gone before. He boarded a French Véronique AG1 rocket and soared 130 miles above Earth before parachuting safely back down. Fortunately, Félicette made it home safely, unlike many of the other animal astronauts who flew during the space race. Félicette, the first cat to fly into space in October 1963, appears in her carrier before the flight. (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons) Why It Mattered Félicette survived the space flights, but did not make it to this world. She was euthanized two months after her recovery so scientists could study her brain. You may like The French launched a second cat on October 24, but its flight did not go as well and it deviated from its course. When the cat was found a day later, it was discovered that it had died as a result of the trip. From there, CERMA (Centre d’Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique) shifted its research to flying monkeys. Félicette might have become a footnote in history had it not been for a crowdfunded effort to erect a statue in her memory nearly 60 years later. The sculpture was unveiled in 2019 at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France. European astronauts Helen Sharman, Paolo Nespoli and Reinhold Ewald were present at its unveiling. Image 1 of 3 Félicette, the first cat in space (here on the right), immortalized as a bronze sculpture at the International Space University in Strasbourg. Here on the left is an early photograph of the artwork while it is in progress, and in the center is a small scale model. (Image credit: Gill Parker/Kickstarter/CNES) To this day, Félicette and her less fortunate astrocat classmate remain the only felines to fly on a rocket. In 2013, reports emerged that Iran was planning to send a cat into space the following year. However, by all accounts, that never happened. A closer view of Félicette’s face in bronze. (Image credit: Courtesy of Matthew Serge Guy) The unveiling of the Félicette statue in honor of the first cat in space. (Image credit: Courtesy of ISU/Photo Expression) In addition to the commemorative statue, Félicette has been commemorated on postage stamps issued by Chad and Comoros, both former French colonies. Want more space history? Check out our full archive of On This Day In Space stories and watch our On This Day In Space videos on YouTube. On this day in space! October 17, 2016: Private Antares rocket flies again
