What Was the First Living Being Sent to Space? It Wasn’t a Monkey or a Dog!

An animal species still widely used in space exploration is the It was the first animal sent into space. On February 20, 1947, this animal species was sent to a place where no living creature had gone before.

This species was a fruit fly. So why were they specifically chosen? Let’s delve into the interesting details of the subject and the depths of space together.

The first creature to go into space was a fruit fly.

Animals have been used since space exploration began. The most well-known ones include monkeys and dogs. However, the first animal species sent into space were fruit flies. Sent into space in 1947 on a V2 rocket, the flies were great travelers because of their size and their light weight made storage easier and reduced fuel consumption.

At that time, little was known about the effects of cosmic radiation on organic matter, and fruit flies Because they have a genetic structure and diseases similar to humans were chosen for research. At the end of the mission, scientists learned that radiation did not cause mutation.

So what other animals have been sent into space?

In addition to fruit flies, since the 1940s ants, fish, spiders, cockroaches, turtles, mice, dogs, frogs, cats and jellyfish Various animals have been sent, including. A total of 32 monkeys and 12 dogs have gone into space to date. Some of the animals unfortunately lost their lives.

Interestingly, first animals to become pregnant in space cockroaches. The first fish in space spent 48 days in orbit. Animals today have a much higher chance of surviving in space than they did in the 1900s.

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