The First Animal In Space May Surprise You

We all know Laika the dog and maybe Ham the chimpanzee but the entire pantheon of animals that have been to space is surprisingly vast. Everything from cats to worms to fish to newts to spiders have been flown in space to test the effect of space and zero gravity on life forms. Here is my best attempt to catalogue all of them.

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TIMESTAMPS:
0:01 - Space Bat
2:11 - Laika The Dog
4:20 - Flies in Space
5:34 - The Alberts
6:57 - Pet Hug Break
7:11 - Dezik, Tsygan, and Yorick
8:18 - Yorick
8:53 - Patricia, Mike, and Gordo
9:27 - Able and Baker
10:40 - Belka, Strelka, and Ham
12:20 - Ivan's Menagerie
14:59 - Enos the Chimp
15:20 - Félicette the Cat
16:33 - The Fabulous Nematode
18:40 - Tardigrades
20:45 - Sponsor - Hello Fresh

[joescott]

Yes, I have changed the title and thumbnail on this video about 50 times and I know a lot of you don't like that, but this video is absolutely tanking for some reason. I've gotten a few comments that people don't want to watch it because what happens to the animals makes them sad. Maybe that's it? Anyway, apologies.

[switchmuso]

While I learn many things from your videos, learning that Laika's trainer took her home the night before the flight just to give her a "last meal" with love and care really sticks with me...

[Nefville]

I can't believe they didn't use cats for these early test flights, everyone knows cats always land on their feet.

[elizabethbeierle]

The struggle snuggle with Zoey was perfect and much needed ❤️😂

[donaldjmccann]

I am surprised you didn't mention the three cows launched into orbit, that became known as the herd shot round the world.

[multigodslayer]

There's actual audio of Laika as she's in orbit, its of her heartbeat.

[joeytaylor]

I’m a grade 1 teacher at an international school in China, and my students were literally asking me to check which animals had been to space one by one today... love your content. Touches lives around the world in ways you could never imagine. I’ll be using this information to dazzle some inquisitive 6 year olds tomorrow. Thanks for every video.

[CherokeeBird]

"Echo located his way to God." I just spewed coffee 🤣

[Horticarter]

Zoey had this "ohhh shit I guess this is happening" expression in her eyes.😂😅

[MasterChron]

Your dog seems confused, but is not about to question bonus hugs 😂

[somewhatboxes]

imagine yuri gagarin asking if they've tested the space suit he's going to use to go to space, and the scientists proudly tell him about the experimental prototype they filled with like a hundred assorted rodents, and how - on *that* basis - they're certain he'll be fine. and he still went through with it.

[DataCabe]

Somewhat appropriate that this video drops on the Monday after Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 was released, which for the first time gives some characterizaton to Cosmo, who appears to be one of the Soviet dogs launched in the 50s or 60s that somehow survived and came to be in The Collectors... er... collection. She wears a CCCP-marked spacesuit (sans helmet and paw coverings), speaks (in Russain-accented English) through a digital translator that apparently just reads her mind... and she's telekinetic.

[WilliamRWarrenJr]

There were some other survivors from _Columbia_ -- there was an Australian spider experiment aboard, and some of these (the same ones that launched) were found alive in the debris field.

[MountainCry]

Thank you for including some humor in this one; the list of animals was just as grim as I expected and the humor was much appreciated.

[MendezVictor]

You should call this channel "Answers with Alice"....
Every video is a rabbit hole 😅

Love them!

[MCsCreations]

Press F to pay respect to all those animals. Including Zoey... Poor Zoey.

[Entropic_StarKid]

I'm glad Joe finally acknowledges his way more famous and more posh sounding brother at 9:44

[matguy]

What a wonderful coincidence. I just started researching Laika last night. I'm gonna make a short comic about her for my art class. The image of her looking at the earth and seeing it as a ball makes my tear up :P

[perpetualtech]

You know what I think is crazy? Most of these were able to get the animals into space but somehow couldn't manage to figure out how to make a parachute work. Insane

[rememberpickles]

Thanks for recognizing the audience needed a break--had to rewatch 7:03 a few times to make it through the video