What would happen if we sent animals to space?

What types of animals would be sent?

Why/how would we send animals to space?

What would be the animals' reaction?

The Pros and Cons of sending animals to space.

This was a research assignment.

I set out to answer a variety of questions about animals in space, including the timeline of previous missions, and I also researched the impact.

Why would we send animals to space?

• We were unsure of what would happen to us
• There was a theory on we could not survive long periods of time of weightlessness
• American and Russian scientists used animals to test each other's ability to bring them back alive
• Animals were used to make sure humans could survive in space
• Other questions relating to the body and brain’s reaction were wondered about:
• Example: There was a mission objective to investigate the effect of space flight on brain states, behavioral performance, cardiovascular status, fluid and electrolyte balance, and metabolic state. They sent a monkey with a planned 30-day mission, he died just under 9 days in orbit. He died from a heart attack because of dehydration.
• Example 2: A Soviet rocket pioneer and his biomedical expert used animals to help them design a cabin that could carry a human into space.
• We sent bullfrogs to space to study how the inner ear balance system adapts to weightlessness.
• Example 3: 2 garden spiders were sent to space, to see if they could spin webs there. How would we send animals to space?
• Some animals did training.

• Monkeys, chimps, flies, tortoises, Water bears (Tardigrades), dogs, rabbits, mice, rats, guinea pig, Cats, fish, newts, geckos, worms, cockroach, squid, and jellyfish.

  What would be the animals’ reactions? * Information is found in videos and are my observations from them. * Most of the animals were strapped (mostly larger ones, dogs, chimpanzees, monkeys). Information describes their behaviour in zero gravity. * Different animals = different reactions. * Example: Cats land on their four legs when falling. In zero gravity those rules apply weirdly; they’d either land but float back up or be floating in the air while rotating around with their legs kicking wildly. * Example 2: Snakes would try to move around only to tangle themselves up, float, and rotate around. * Example 3: Mice would run around in their cage while floating and rotating around too.

  The Pros and Cons of sending animals to space

  • Pros:
  • Able to save a lot of human lives because we sent animals instead of humans
  • More cost-effective to send animals
  • Able to make a better living space for humans now, making it a healthier and safer reality.
  • Able to study the adaptations of these animals and use it as a base to understand our survival chance.
  • Cons:
  • It’s unethical and cruel to risk the lives of animals for our own purposes.
  • Some animals were abused as part of their ‘training’.
  • After they were sent to space, they either died there or came back only to shortly die or be euthanized after.
  • Example: A cat from France was killed to have an autopsy of her brain, from being implanted with electrodes which recorded her neural impulses.
  • They suffered distress and pain.

  What would happen if we sent animals to space?

  • Sending animals to space is a big responsibility
  • Helped us understand what would happen to humans
  • Helped us answer our questions
  • Sent them by shuttles, rockets, and spacecrafts
  • We sent different species, each with different biologizes
  • Gave us a large understanding of adaptations
  • Animals died from being chosen to be sent to space
  • Some animals came back unharmed
  • Different animals had different reactions to the environment of space (confusion, fear, etc.)
  • Lives were sacrificed for us; we should honour them.

***The Timeline of animals being sent to space ***

• Fruit Flies – 20/02/1947 - USA 

• Albert I – Rhesus Macaque - 11/06/1948 - USA 

• Albert II - Rhesus Macaque - 14/06/1949 - USA 

• Albert IV – Rhesus Macaque – 12/12/1949 - USA 

• Mouse – 31/08/1950 - USA 

• Dezik and Tysgan – Dog – 15/08/1951 - Soviet Union 

• Dezik and Lisa – Dog - ??/08/1951 - Soviet Union  

• Smelaya & Malyshka – Dog - ??/09/1951 - Soviet Union 

• ZIB – Dog – 15/09/1951 - Soviet Union 

• Yorick & Mice – Monkey & Mice - 20/09/1951 (recovery date) - USA  

• Patricia, Mike, Mildred & Albert – Philippine Monkeys & White Mice – 22/05/1952 - USA 

• Lisa (2) and Ryzhik – Dog – 02/06/1954 - Soviet Union 

• Laika – Dog – 03/11/1957 - Soviet Union 

• Mouse – 23/04/1958 - USA 

• Albina & Tsyganka – Dog – 07/06/1958 - Soviet Union 

• Mouse – 09/07/1958 - USA 

• Wilkie – Mouse - 23/07/1958 - USA 

• Gordo – Squirrel Monkey – 13/12/1958 - USA 

• Black Mice – 03/05/1959 - USA 

• Able & Miss Baker – Rhesus Macaque & Squirrel Monkey – 28/05/1959 - USA 

• Otvazhnaya & Marfusha – Dog & Rabbit – 02/07/1959 - Soviet Union 

• Mice – 16/09/1959 - USA 

• Sam – Rhesus Macaque - 04/12/1959 - USA 

• Snezhinka - Dog – 5 Trips (1959-1960) - Soviet Union  

• Miss Sam – Rhesus Macaque – 21/01/1960 - USA 

• Bars & Lisichka – Dog – 28/07/1960 - Soviet Union 

• Belka, Strelka, Mice, Rats & Fruit Flies – Dog, Mice, Rats, Fruit Flies– 19/08/1960 - Soviet Union 

• Pchelka, Muska & Insects – Dogs, Insects – 01/12/1960 - Soviet Union  

• Damka, Krasavka & Mice – Dogs, Mice – 22/12/1960 - Soviet Union 

• Ham The Chimp – Chimpanzee – 31/01/1961 - USA 

• Chernushka, Mice & Guinea Pig – Dog, Mice & Guinea Pig– 09/04/1961 - Soviet Union  

• Zvesdochka – Dog – 25/03/1961 - Soviet Union 

• Goliath – Squirrel Monkey – 10/11/1961 - USA 

• Enos The Chimp – Chimpanzee – 29/11/1961 - USA 

• Félicette - Parisian Cat – 18/10/1963 - France 

• Veterok & Ugolyok – Dog – 22/02/1966 - Soviet Union 

• Horsfield’s Tortoises, Wine Flies, Mealworms – 14/09/1968 - Soviet Union 

• Bonnie – Pig-tailed monkey – 28/05/1969 - USA 

• Bullfrogs – 09/11/1970 - USA 

• Arabella and Anita – European Garden spiders – 28/07/1973 - USA 

• Mummichog Fish – 28/07/1973 - USA 

• Bion & Abrek – 14/12/1983 - Soviet Union 

• Verny, Gordy & Iberian Ribbed Newts – Monkey, Newts – 10/07/1985 - Soviet Union 

• Yerosha, Dryoma & Fish – Monkeys, Fish – 29/09/1987 - Soviet Union 

• Zhakonya & Zabiyaka – Monkeys – 15/09/1989 - Soviet Union 

• Japanese Quail - 01/08/1990 - Soviet Union  

• Guinea Pigs – 05/10/1990 - China 

• Moon Jellyfish – 05/06/1991 - USA 

• Krosh, Ivasha & Tadpoles – Monkeys, Tadpoles – 29/12/1992 - Russia  

• Lapik & Multik – Monkeys – 24/12/1996 - Russia  

• Nematode Worms – 16/01/2003 - USA 

• Tardigrades (Water Bears) - 14/09/2007 - ESA/Russia  

• Madagascar Hissing Cockroach – 14/09/2007 - Russia  

• Geckos - 18/07/2014 - Russia 

• Bobtail Squid – 03/06/2021 - USA 

• (Dogs from the Soviet Union with no date of recovery or launch attached: Dymka, Modnista, Kozyavka) 

• (Mice were launched again after the black mice, date unknown)

• Sending animals to space is a big responsibility

• Helped us understand what would happen to humans

• Helped us answer our questions
• Sent them by shuttles, rockets, and spacecrafts
• We sent different species, each with different biologizes
• Gave us a large understanding of adaptations
• Animals died from being chosen to be sent to space
• Some animals came back unharmed
• Different animals had different reactions to the environment of space (confusion, fear, etc.)
• Lives were sacrificed for us; we should honour them.

Tara Gray. (2024, January 18). A brief history of animals in Space. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/history/a-brief-history-of-animals-in-space/  Butcher, A. (2025, April 29). What animals have been sent into space?. AEANET. https://www.aeanet.org/what-animals-have-been-sent-into-space/#google_vignette Stone, E. (2026, February 17). The complete list of animals that have been to space. Little Astronomy. https://littleastronomy.com/animals-that-have-been-to-space/  The Case Against Sending Animals Into Space Bruce Dorminey. (2019). The case against sending animals into space. The Case Against Sending Animals Into Space. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2019/11/07/the-case-against-sending-animals-into-space/  Rozenbaum, M. (2024). Animals in orbit: Why animals live on the International Space Station. Understanding Animal Research. https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/animals-in-orbit-why-animals-live-on-the-international-space-station#:~:text=The%20animal%20work%20is%20helping%20us%20understand%20how,Director%20of%20Biological%20Services%20at%20King%27s%20College%20London.  Wikimedia Foundation. (2026, February 8). Animals in Space. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals_in_space   YouTube. (n.d.). https://youtu.be/DexDlTldNfQ?si=sHOq2v9TT3STnA_2  YouTube. (n.d.-a). https://youtu.be/O9XtK6R1QAk?si=1VXvdwyld7xYtrBA  Wikimedia Foundation. (2024a, November 11). Dezik and tsygan. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dezik_and_Tsygan  Wikimedia Foundation. (2026b, February 19). Soviet space dogs. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_space_dogs

My parents for providing me with materials My science teacher for helping me as I ask questions during my science fair process My principal for setting me up to CYSF