On June 14, 1949, a rhesus monkey named Albert II was launched into space aboard a V-2 rocket from White Sands, New Mexico. Prior to Albert II, animals including fruit flies, mice, and another ...

According to NASA’s history of animals in space, the first animals were launched into space in the 1940s and 1950s. Scientists also sent monkeys, chimps, and dogs into space to assess the feasibility ...

Several monkeys were sent to space, starting with Albert I in 1948 aboard a V-2 rocket. Unfortunately, many early attempts were unsuccessful, with the monkeys succumbing to various complications.