Félicette

The story.

Félicette was the first and only cat ever sent into space. On October 18, 1963, the French space program launched her aboard a Véronique AG1 rocket on a suborbital mission to study how spaceflight affected living organisms. The mission was successful. She reached space, safely returned to Earth, and made history as one of the pioneers of human space exploration.

The facts.

• Félicette was the first and only cat ever sent to space.
• She was launched by the French space program on October 18, 1963.
• She crossed the Kármán line (100 km / 62 miles), officially reaching space.
• Félicette completed the mission successfully and returned safely to Earth by parachute.
• Her mission provided valuable scientific data that helped advance early human spaceflight research.

Live chart.