Everyone remembers their cats but France has a special reason to remember Felicette, who was launched into space in 1963 to become the first cat in space. Although Felicette survived the 15-minute mission, she died two months later when scientists removed electrodes in her brain to study it.
Fortunately after a Kickstarter campaign raised $57,000, there’s now a bronze statue of Felicette in the International Space University. So if you want to honor cats and space exploration, take time to learn more about Felicette and how she helped advance knowledge of space travel.
To learn more about the memorial for the first cat in space, click here.