Parisian scientists in 1963 had a strange idea. Let’s send cats to space! Thus the program was launched by the Centre d’Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique, Cerma, and several strays were rounded up and had electrodes inserted into their brains. Out of those kitties, C341 was chosen to take the flight, named so because the scientists did not want a name to establish attachments. When French journalists found out, they called the cat Felix after the popular cartoon character. Unfortunately, the named was changed to Felicette when they were informed that C341 did not contain the anatomical necessities to be described as male.
Felicette in her capsule harness.
So, on October 18, 1963, Miss C341 was launched on an orbit and survived, although when she landed her bum was in the air for an uncomfortable couple of hours until her rescue. Slightly embarrassed, but fully operational, the cat experiment was considered a success. Another attempt was made on the 24th, but this cat did not survive. A couple of months later, Felicette was euthanized so that her brain could be checked for any abnormalities caused by her space travel. Not exactly a happy ending.
In fact, all of the cats but one in the project were euthanized at the end of the program except one who had been very sick and the electrodes removed. They named her Scoubidou and kept her as a mascot.
Felicette standing with researchers after the successful attempt to send her into space.
On December 18, 2019, Felicette was honored by the International Space University in Strausbourg with a bronze statue of a cat sitting on a globe peering up into space. Although late, the statue serves as a memorial to her and all of the cats lost during this experimental process. Their sacrifice allowed us to move forward with human space exploration. Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter generated the funds, around $57,000.
Felicette's statue.
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