1961 Space Chimp Name: Facts About The Ape That Did It All

In 1961, a chimp called Ham became the first non-human to launch into space and return alive.

His capsule and spacesuit were test models for the sub-orbital Mercury program. They were a part of NASA’s efforts to put a person on the Moon.

The flight was not risk-free: Ham could have been killed if the rocket had failed or if he’d sprung an unseen escape hatch and floated away into space. Fortunately for all involved, it didn’t come to that. Now retired from public life, Ham continues life in Northern California.

Though Ham was not the first to reach space, NASA had tried to send monkeys across earth's orbit in a flight. Miss Baker and Able were the first to reach space. The prototype of the spacecraft used for the flight has been displayed at the space museum.

Finally, America’s spaceflight program got its start as a chimpanzee named Ham became the first hominid in space on January 31, 1961. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969.

Curious about the real-life chimp who did it all? Keep reading for our facts about the ape that did it all here on Kidadl.

Name Of The First Monkey In Space

Ham was the first primate to travel in a space program.

Ham was the name given to the chimp chosen for the first American sub-orbital spaceflight. When animals were chosen to pioneer the way of space travel were mostly given numbers, not names. But in this case, the chimp was given a name to recognize his important role.

The name Ham was specially chosen by the chimp’s trainer. He was a fan of the television show 'Laugh-In'. He also gave his other chimps names such as Sam and Rufus.

Though, the first animal to travel into space was a Russian dog named Laika who orbited the Earth in Sputnik II in 1957. Her mission was to test the effects and dangers of space travel on a living creature.

Although Laika did not survive the mission, the success of that flight paved the way for other animals as test subjects to be sent into space.

The first American animal to be sent into space was named Albert, a squirrel monkey.

Albert’s mission was part of Project Mercury and was designed to test the effects of space travel on humans. Albert’s mission was just like Ham’s mission two years later: to test subjects, space flight design and operation of the Mercury spacecraft.

A squirrel monkey named Miss Baker and a rhesus monkey named Able are credited with being the first primates to survive a return trip to outer space. Miss Baker and Able were sent up in 1959 on a Jupiter rocket.

This was an intermediate-range ballistic missile that carried nuclear warheads, not Rhesus monkey. Sadly, Able died shortly after returning to Earth because of complications following a medical procedure.

On January 31, 1961, just before Yuri Gagarin's pioneering spaceflight, a chimpanzee named Ham became the first hominid in space. The humble 37-pound primate ate breakfast that morning in south Florida: baby cereal, condensed milk, vitamins, and half an egg.

Shortly thereafter, he became the first chimp in space, traveling thousands of miles an hour through space while aboard a NASA space capsule.

It is interesting to know that the name being used for HAM was not revealed until he returned back safely. The name HAM is actually an acronym. It stands for Holloman Aerospace Medical Center. Ham lived to the age of 25 in the North Carolina Zoo.

After that the next monkey to go on a flight was Enos. He went into a fight on November 26, 1961. This was also a successful mission by NASA as he orbited the earth.

How long was the chimp in space?

Ham was in space for 16 minutes on a sub-orbital flight. During the voyage, he was exposed to a maximum acceleration (g-force) of eight. Ham spent a total of six and half minutes in weightlessness before he was shot back towards Earth by the retro-rockets attached to his capsule.

The Mercury capsule that Ham rode unintentionally took him much higher and faster than NASA had planned. Although the chimp was protected by an inner chamber, part of the capsule's air pressure was lost.

Ham performed all the actions he was trained for. Though his speed was a little slow but he did not falter. This proved the point to NASA that humans shall be able to do all basic activities in space flight.

The flight capsule had two windows. While the body was made of Aluminum and Fiberglass to keep it light. After a detailed medical test upon return, it was confirmed that Ham was unharmed. He was very tired and dehydrated by the experience.

Why was the chimp sent to space?

Ham and his fellow animals were sent into space to see how they would handle being in space and experiencing weightlessness. The flight also helped the scientists to see how the spacecraft reacted to the stresses and strains of spaceflight. They also tried to learn how to control the spacecraft and how to get it back to Earth safely.

The reason for the selection of monkeys for the task was a similarity with human DNA. Ham and other chimpanzees were small and could easily fit into the space capsules.

Monkeys are intelligent as compared to other animals. So it would be easier to hypothecate the results on human bodies. So if these monkeys could survive the space trip, human astronauts could do it too.

How did they train the chimp?

The monkeys were trained by NASA at the Holloman air force base.

The initial number of chimps selected for the Mercury program was 40. Ham was a primate among others. Trappers grabbed Ham in the French Cameroons. They were transported to the Miami Rare Bird Farm in Florida. Ham and others were sent to the military. The monkeys were finally sent to New Mexico's Holloman Air Force Base for training purposes.

The monkeys were trained daily. They were given exposure to G force exposures. These were done in the simulation machines.

Ham and other monkeys were taught to pull certain levers. The main purpose of NASA by this activity was to see the response humans would give in space. when they succeeded they were rewarded with a banana.

But when they failed they were given a minimal electric shock on the feet. This was just to teach them what to do in space. There were a total of 29 sessions to give them physical training in response to the stimulus.

The finally trained monkeys were only six chimps. Four of the monkeys were males while two were females. After completion of training, they all were sent to Cape Canaveral on January 2, 1961. Ham known as No.

65 was the final candidate for the voyage of NASA. Ham was found to be in good health thus he was selected. He was separated from the others for the fear of illness.

Ham’s flight was a big step in the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Russia had already sent a dog and a few other animals into space. Now America had sent a chimp into space.

Ham’s flight went well, and he returned to Earth in one piece. His flight proved that a chimpanzee could survive a space flight and return to Earth safely.

Ham was the first of many animals to be sent into space. His flight also paved the way for future human-crewed spaceflights. Ham’s flight was an essential milestone in the history of space travel.

FAQs

What happened to Ham the space chimp?

Ham was transferred to a zoo in the beginning and eventually was taken to an enclosure with other chimps like him.

Who was the most famous space monkey?

Ham was a chimpanzee who was the first great ape launched into space.

What was the name of the first monkey in space?

The monkey's name was Ham.

Did Enos survive space?

Enos survived but later succumbed to a disease.