1. The Very First Space Travelers: fruit Flies 🪰· The
first living creatures sent into space were
fruit flies, launched by the
United States in 1947 aboard a
V-2 rocket.· Purpose: Scientists wanted to
study the effects of radiation at high altitudes on living organisms.
2. Why fruit Flies? 🍎· They are
small, reproduce quickly, and
share many genetic similarities with humans.· Their resilience made them
ideal candidates for early space experiments.
3. Other Early Space Animals 🐕🐁🐢After fruit flies, a variety of animals were sent into space to test
biological responses in microgravity:·
Monkeys and mice: Tested physiological changes and behavior.·
Dogs: Notably, the Soviet Union sent
Laika in 1957, the first animal to orbit Earth.·
Tortoises: The USSR sent them on a circumlunar mission in 1968.·
Plants and insects: Used to study
growth and reproduction in space.
4. Significance of Animal Space Flights 🌌· These missions helped scientists understand
how microgravity and cosmic radiation affect living beings.· Paved the way for
human spaceflight, including missions by Yuri Gagarin and subsequent astronauts.
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