The first animals sent into space were fruit flies (1947 – USA). The first monkey in space was a rhesus monkey named Albert II (died on impact due to parachute failure) in 1949 – USA. The first dog in space wasn’t Laika but Tsygan and Dezik (1951-USSR) and they survived the trip. Laika was the first (dead) dog in orbit in 1957. After that dogs, monkeys, rabbit, frogs, mice, flies, rats, cats, wasps, bacteria, tortoises, worms, spiders and plenty of other species were happily lobbed into space.
The first animals sent into space were fruit flies (1947 – USA). The first monkey in space was a rhesus monkey named Albert II (died on impact due to parachute failure) in 1949 – USA. The first dog in space wasn’t Laika but Tsygan and Dezik (1951-USSR) and they survived the trip. Laika was the first (dead) dog in orbit in 1957. After that dogs, monkeys, rabbit, frogs, mice, flies, rats, cats, wasps, bacteria, tortoises, worms, spiders and plenty of other species were happily lobbed into space.