A chimp that became a space pioneerToday marks the 60th anniversary of the first chimpanzee in space. The mission was hugely important because the chimp successfully pulled a couple of levers in flight, proving astronauts could perform tasks while in space. The risks involved were reflected in the banner headline of the San Francisco Examiner which proclaimed with some relief, "SPACE CHIMP LIVES!" Originally captured in the Cameroon jungle, after his mission Ham spent 17 years in American zoos before his death in 1983. Wandering woofersThe Soviets chose street dogs for space experiments because they reckoned they were stronger than domestic hounds.
