![]() ![]() This remarkable image showcases Ham walking confidently in his white laboratory outfit at Marshall Space Flight Center. 5-minute flight, the Mercury capsule safely landed and Ham was recovered alive – marking a significant milestone for both animal and human space exploration endeavors. His successful completion of this task proved that animals could perform critical actions under extreme conditions. During this groundbreaking mission, Ham demonstrated incredible intelligence by pulling a lever in response to a flashing light. This daring flight aimed to test the effects of space travel on living organisms before humans took their first steps beyond our planet. As part of NASA's Mercury-Redstone rocket mission, Ham was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, reaching an astounding altitude of 254 kilometers above Earth's surface. Meet Ham, the courageous primate who donned his flight suit and embarked on an extraordinary journey on January 31, 1961. This print captures a momentous event in the history of space exploration - the first chimpanzee to venture into outer space. Science Photo Library features Science and Medical images including photos and illustrationsįor licensing enquiries please contact Science Photo Libraryġ900s 1961 31st Chimp Chimpanzee Nasa Pan Troglodytes Primate Sepia Space Flight Test Flight Us A Walking Laboratory Marshall Space Flight Center Mercury Project Mono Chromeįirst Chimpanzee in Space - A Historic Milestone in Space Exploration NASA launched several animals in test flights before launching the first American astronaut, Alan Shepard, on 5th May 1961. After a 16.5 minute flight, the Mercury capsule landed and Ham was recovered alive. During the flight, Ham had to pull a lever in response to a flashing light. The rocket reached a peak of 254 kilometres above the Earth. ![]() On January 31, 1961, a Mercury-Redstone rocket carrying Ham was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA. Ham, the first chimpanzee in space, in his flight suit. The skeleton is held in the collection of the National Museum of Health and Medicine.First chimpanzee in space. His other remains were respectfully laid to rest in front of the International Space Hall of Fame in Alamogordo, New Mexico. His skeleton was retained for examination by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Ham died on January 17, 1983, at the age of 26. He then was moved to the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro. Shepard, Jr., on May 5, 1961," according to NASA's website.Īfter a thorough medical examination, Ham was transferred to the Washington Zoo in 1963 where he lived until September 25, 1980. Ham's mission paved the way for the successful launch of America's first human astronaut, Alan B. "A post-flight medical examination found Ham to be slightly fatigued and dehydrated, but in good shape otherwise. The mission was one of many planned tests to ensure that humans could survive space flight, think clearly and perform useful functions outside the Earth's atmosphere. He experienced a total of 6.6 minutes of weightlessness. Ham's flight was 16 minutes and 39 seconds long. The only physical injury he suffered from was a bruised nose. Ham's capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean and was recovered by a rescue ship later that day. Scientists found that Ham's lever-pushing performance in space was only a fraction of a second slower than on Earth which demonstrated that tasks could be performed in space. ![]() ![]() The capsule suffered a partial loss of pressure during the flight, however, Ham's space suit prevented him from suffering any harm. On January 31, 1961, when the MR-2 was launched, Ham's vital signs and tasks were monitored by sensors and computers on Earth. "To condition the chimps to respond properly, they received banana pellets as rewards and mild electrical shocks as punishments," according to NASA History Series 'This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury'. He was taught to push a lever within five seconds of seeing a flashing blue light. He was purchased by the US Air Force and brought to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico in 1959. Ham was born in the French Cameroons, West Africa, in July 1957. ![]()
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