Brief
France’s Félicette became the first cat in space in 1963
Félicette flew 130 miles above Earth on a French rocket, survived the flight, and was later commemorated with a bronze statue in Strasbourg.
By Felo News Desk · Published
On Oct. 18, 1963, France sent a cat named Félicette into space aboard a Véronique AG1 rocket, reaching an altitude of about 130 miles before parachuting back to Earth, according to Space.com.
What happened
Félicette, a stray tuxedo cat from Paris, was a substitute for another cat, Felix, who escaped on launch day. The French launch placed her on a sub‑orbital trajectory that peaked at roughly 130 miles (210 km) before the capsule re‑entered and the cat parachuted safely to the ground.
What the reports add
Space.com notes that while the United States and Soviet Union were using primates, dogs and humans for early space flights, France chose a feline. The article adds that a second French cat flight on Oct. 24 1963 veered off course and the animal died, prompting the research centre CERMA to shift its focus to monkeys.
What was said
The piece does not contain direct quotations, but it records that scientists euthanized Félicette two months after her recovery to study her brain.
How it came about
France’s space programme in the early 1960s sought to demonstrate capabilities alongside the superpowers. The launch was conducted by the Centre d'Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique (CERMA). Decades later, a crowdfunded bronze sculpture of Félicette was unveiled in 2019 at the International Space University in Strasbourg, attended by European astronauts Helen Sharman, Paolo Nespoli and Reinhold Ewald.
Key facts
- Félicette flew on Oct. 18, 1963 aboard a French Véronique AG1 rocket (space.com)
- The flight reached about 130 miles (210 km) altitude before parachuting back (space.com)
- Félicette survived the mission but was euthanized two months later for brain study (space.com)
- A bronze statue of Félicette was unveiled in 2019 at the International Space University in Strasbourg (space.com)
Sources
- [1] space.com — originally reported as “On this day in space! Oct. 18, 1963: France's Félicette Becomes the 1st Cat in Space! >^..^”
