If you're the type who always wanted a pet chimpanzee as a child, then you probably understand the fascination with primates. Not all of them, however, are content to simply take the conventional role of family mascot. Some of them aspire to reach for the stars, while others prefer to hone their conversational skills.
Over the years, monkeys and their primate cousins have achieved some amazing – and sometimes eerie – things. From space flight to cognizant communication through sign language, there have been many stories that have captured the attention and, in some cases, tugged at the heartstrings of their human counterparts.
Space Monkeys
Much has been said about the monkeys and chimps from the past who pioneered our space flight program. There were actually several of them who did so, in fact, and of those who attempted flight, six particularly notable primates were quite successful in their endeavors. Although each of them saw their duties through to the end, however, not all of them reaped the rewards that they deserved.
Gordo, a small squirrel monkey, is credited with being the first primate in space. Successfully completing her mission in the AM-13 on December 13, 1958, she returned to earth, as planned, in the nose cone of the capsule that served as her space vehicle. To the great dismay of animal rights groups – and those who recognize the value of life on any level – little Gordo was sacrificed at the end of the mission, since the nose cone in which she was placed was specifically designed to sink into the ocean upon landing. Thirteen was definitely not a lucky number for that sweet little space hero.
At the end of May in 1959, the U.S. Army launched another monkey into space – this time, of the Rhesus variety – by the name of Able. It was Able’s job to fly the AM-18 mission which, just as in the case of his predecessor, was completed successfully. Prior to the flight, however, electrodes were implanted in his head and, as a result of the adverse effects of the anesthesia that was used when attempting to remove the electrodes at the end of the mission, Able passed away on June 1, 1959.
Accompanying Able on his flight during the AM-18 mission was a squirrel monkey, dubbed “Baker” by his U.S. Army masters. Baker actually lived for a number of years after her space mission, which took place in 1959. Twenty-five years later, in 1984, she died and her little corpse was stuffed and placed in the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (USSRC), located in Huntsville, Alabama.