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In 1957 the USSR launched into Earth orbit, a dog Laika.

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Breeders at the Academy of Sciences show their best dogs to participate in the space program.

Squirrel monkey, wrapped in a rubber, bound and placed in a capsule during a training exercise for the flight into space. Her companion, known as Gordo, likewise sent into space in 1958 to an altitude of 498 km. And although it is believed that Gordo survived his parachute did not work, and its capsule was lost at sea.

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The first two monkeys who survived the journey into space, presented at a press conference by NASA in 1959. Abel (left) – 3-pound and Baker – 311-gram squirrel monkey from Peru.

In early 1961 – several months after Gagarin’s flight into space – NASA used chimpanzees to help troubleshoot program “Mercury”.

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Chimpanzee on the basis of “Holloman” taught to perform simple tasks in response to electric lights and sounds.

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Chimpanzees were successfully launched into orbit. Chimpanzee named Ham, whose journey lasted 16 minutes and 59 seconds, held in January 1961. His brother Enos started ten months later. Enos went around the earth twice.

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After his short trip into orbit Ham landed in the Atlantic Ocean, and it, along with a rescue boat picked up the capsule.