That October, Félicette—then designated C341—was launched from a base in the Sahara Desert, reaching an altitude of about 100 miles above Earth. The trip was brief, just 15 minutes in total. But all the while, scientists kept close tabs on the kitty, monitoring her breathing and heart rate through a series of electrodes implanted throughout her body. Eventually, the capsule that contained Félicette detached from its rocket and parachuted safely back to the ground. A few months after her return, she was euthanized so that the scientific team could examine her brain.
In 2017, a Kickstarter campaign raised more than $57,000 to build a statue of Félicette commemorating her historic mission. After a long search, the campaign's organizers have finally found a permanent home for the memorial. And last week, they shared the first photos of the statue's new design, featuring an out-of-this-world (literally) replica of Félicette.
Before Félicette, France had so far only sent rats to space. After researchers at the Centre d'Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique (CERMA) recruited 14 cats into a rigorous training program, Félicette—a sweet-tempered former stray—was granted the golden ticket, Emily Petsko reported for Mental Floss in 2018.
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