Farout Fauna
Geek Out Huntsville, a local group dedicated to all things geeky, are committed to supporting local businesses, artists, and creators in the Rocket City area. Help them support their mission by ordering a stellar shirt, featuring some out of this worlds animals! Grab one for yourself, your neighbor, your cousin, their band, and even your pet. Help us continue to make Huntsville the geekiest city in the world and look super groovy while doing it!
Geeky Space Facts:
Throughout history, animals have always had a complex relationship with science, and rocketry is no different. Many of the first pilots and astronauts were none other than humble pets and other small critters, whose sacrifice blazed a path towards the first human flights, orbits, and missions. To honor them and their sacrifice, we have decided to feature three of the most famous Farout Fauna and you can read more about them below!
Laika: A stray dog selected from the streets of Moscow to pilot Russia's Sputnik 2 orbiter. Laika was one of the first animals in space and the first animal to orbit the Earth. Sadly, no plans were made for Laika's return and she passed away in orbit.
Miss Baker: A squirrel monkey that was one of the first animals sent successfully into orbit by the American Space Program. Miss Baker also holds the distinction of being one of the first Farout Fauna to return safely from their journey, where they happily lived out the remainder of their years at Huntsville's own US Space & Rocket Center. She often enjoyed snacks of cottage cheese, strawberry Jell-O, and bananas.
Ham: A chimpanzee that was crucial to the success of the suborbital Mercury 2 mission. This mission helped to confirm that tasks could be completed whilst in the conditions of microgravity. Ham also safely returned to Earth, where his capsule splashed down into the Atlantic. Following his mission Ham, now known as the Astrochimp, lived out his remaining years at the DC Zoo before transferring to a Chimp Sanctuary in North Carolina shortly before his passing.
