ON THIS DAY - Space Monkey Lost
BBC ON THIS DAY, 13 Dec 1958: Monkey lost after space flight
The search for a small bushy-tailed monkey fired into space in the nose cone of a Jupiter rocket has been called off.
The squirrel monkey named Gordo survived a 300 mile journey into space and then travelled more than 1,500 miles in the rocket until it dropped in the South Atlantic.
A technical problem with the recovery gear meant a parachute failed to open and the nose-cone sank taking Gordo with it. The US Army abandoned the search after six hours.
Gordo’s condition was monitored by the Pentagon, which said the monkey suffered no significiant adverse physical effects during the time it was weightless.
“No significiant adverse physical effects?” He died!
There have been angry protests from animal rights groups about the decision to send Gordo into space.
The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said only inanimate objects should be used for such tests. The British Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also expressed “grave concern and apprehension”.
I suppose they should have tested the heartrate of a pet rock. Moonbats are nothing new.
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