Amazing Astro Animals – THE EXHIBITION

The illustrations in this exhibition appear in the brand-new book Amazing Astro Animals by WA local James Foley.

The book tells the true stories of the amazing animals that have rocketed into space. From microscopic tardigrades to a pregnant cockroach, from last-minute mutts to unhatched chicken eggs, these animals and their stories are weird, wacky and wonderful. Chock-full of extraordinary facts and fun, this is an absolute must read.

Scroll down to learn a little about each animal and their incredible journeys into space.

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1947: FRUIT FLY⁠

Species: Drosophila melanogaster
Date: Feb 20, 1947⁠
Mission: V-2 Rocket No.20⁠
⁠
The very first earthlings to travel into space! ⁠

1949: ‘ALBERT II’, RHESUS MACAQUE

Species: Macaca mulatta
Date: June 14, 1949
Mission: Albert II
(aka V-2 Rocket No.47,
aka Blossom No.4B)

The first monkey (and the first primate) in space.

1950: MOUSE

Species: unspecified; likely Genus Mus
Date: August 31, 1950
Mission: Albert V
(V-2 Rocket No.51)

**1951: ‘TSYGAN’ & ‘DEZIK’, DOGS**

Species: Canis familiaris
Date: July 22, 1951
Mission: Flight IIIA-1

The first dogs in space.

**1957 – ‘LAIKA’, DOG**

Species: Canis familiaris
Date: November 3, 1957
Mission: Sputnik 2

First Earthling to orbit the Earth.

**1958 – ‘GORDO/OLD RELIABLE’, SQUIRREL MONKE**Y

Species: likely Saimiri sciureus
Date: December 13, 1958
Mission: Jupiter AM-13
(aka Bio-Flight No.1)

1959: BACTERIA⁠

Species: Escherichia coli
Date: May 28, 1959
Mission: Bioflight 2

1959: ‘MARFUSHA’, RABBIT

Species: unspecified
Date: July 2, 1959
Mission: part of a series of R-2A rocket tests

Rumour has it, Marfusha was pregnant when she went to space.

1960: 2 RATS

Species: unspecified;
likely Rattus norvegicus domestica
Date: August 19, 1960
Mission: Sputnik 5
(aka Korabl-Sputnik 2 /
Vostok-1K No. 2)

**1961: ‘HAM’, CHIMPANZEE**

Species: Pan troglodytes
Date: January 31, 1961
Mission: Mercury-Redstone 2 (MR-2)

1961 – GUINEA PIGS, FROGS

Species (guinea pig): Cavia porcellus
Species (frog): unspecified
Date: March 9, 1961
Mission: Sputnik 9
(aka Korabl-Sputnik 4,
aka Vostok-3KA No.1)

1961: YURI GAGARIN

Species: Homo sapiens
Date: April 12, 1961
Mission: Vostok 1
(aka Vostok 3KA-3)

The first human in space.

1963: VALENTINA TERESHKOVA

Species: Homo sapiens
Date: June 16, 1963
Mission: Vostok 3
(aka Vostok-3KA-8)

The first woman in space.

**1963: ‘FELICETTE’, CAT**

Species: Felis catus
Date: October 18, 1963
Mission: Veronique AGI sounding rocket No.47 (aka Veronique AGI47)

The first and only cat in space.

1966: PARASITIC WASPS, AMOEBAE

Species (wasp): Habrobracon hebetor
Species (amoeba): Chaos carolinensis
Date: December 14, 1966
Mission: Biosatellite 1

1968 – HORSFIELD TORTOISES, MEALWORMS

Species (tortoise): Testudo horsfieldii
Species (mealworm): Tenebrio molitor
Date: September 14, 1968
Mission: Zond 5

The first Earthlings to travel around the Moon (yes, even before humans went there).

1970: BULLFROGS

Species: Rana catesbeiana
Date: November 9, 1970
Mission: Orbiting Frog Otolith (OFO 1)

1972: NEMATODES

Species: Heligmosomoides polygyrus
Date: April 16, 1972⁠
Mission: Apollo 16 ⁠

1973: MUMMICHOG FISH, GARDEN SPIDERS

Species (fish): Fundulus heteroclitus
Species (spiders): Araneus diadematus
Date: July 28, 1973
Mission: Skylab 3

1982: HONEYBEES, VELVETBEAN CATERPILLAR MOTHS

Species (bee): Apis mellifera
Species (moth): Anticorsia gemnatalis
Date: 22 March, 1982
Mission: STS-3 (Space Shuttle Columbia)

1985 – IBERIAN RIBBED NEWTS

Species: Pleurodeles waltl
Date: July 10, 1985
Mission: Bion 7 (aka Kosmos 1667)

1987: SILKWORMS

Species: Bombyx mori
Date: August 5, 1987
Mission: Fanhui Shi Weixing
(FSW)-0-9

1989: FERTILISED CHICKEN EGGS

Species: Gallus domesticus
Date: 13 March, 1989
Mission: STS-29
(Space Shuttle Discovery)

This experiment was called ‘Chix in Space’ and was sponsored by KFC. Yes, really.

1989: EARTHWORMS, RED WOOD ANTS

Species (earthworm): Lumbricus terrestris
Species (ant): Formica rufa
Date: September 15, 1989
Mission: Bion 9 (aka Kosmos 2044)

1990 – JAPANESE QUAIL EGGS

Species: Coturnix japonica
Date: March 22, 1990 (date of birth of first hatchling)
Mission: Mir EO-6
(Mir space station)

43 eggs went to space and 8 hatched successfully. These were the first birds to hatch in space!

1991 – JUVENILE JELLYFISH

Species: Aurelia aurita
Date: June 6^th, 1991
Mission: STS-40
(Space Shuttle Columbia)

1992: KOI FISH

Species: Cyprinus rubrofuscus
Date: September 12, 1992
Mission: STS-47
(Space Shuttle Endeavour)

1994: GOLDFISH

Species: Carassius auratus
Date: July 8, 1994
Mission: STS-65
(Space Shuttle Columbia)

1963: ‘BLOODFLUKE PLANORBS’ FRESHWATER SNAILS

Species: Biomphalaria glabrata
Date: January 23, 1998
Mission: STS-89
(Space Shuttle Endeavour to Mir space station)

1998: OYSTER TOADFISH

Species: Opsanus tau
Date: April 17, 1998
Mission: STS-90
(Space Shuttle Columbia)

1999 – PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLIES, LADYBIRDS, APHIDS

Species (butterfly): Vanessa cardui
Species (ladybird): Eriopis connexa
Species (aphid): Rhopalosiphum padi
Date: July 23, 1999
Mission: STS-93
(Space Shuttle Columbia)

2005: SCORPION, TURNER’S THICK-TOED GECKO

Species (scorpion): Androctonus australis
Species (gecko): Chondrodactylus turneri
Date: May 31, 2005
Mission: Foton-M2

2006: MADAGASCAR HISSING COCKROACH

Species: Gromphadorhina portentosa
Date: July 12, 2006
Mission: Genesis I

2007: TARDIGRADES, MONGOLIAN GERBILS

Species (tardigrades):
Richtersius coronifer, Milnesium
tardigradum, Echiniscus testudo, Ramazzottius
oberhaeuseri, Paramacrobiotus richtersi
Species (gerbil): Meriones unguiculatus
Date: September 14, 2007
Mission: Foton-M3