Animals in Space: From Research Rockets to the Space Shuttle (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)

Many readers will doubtless be astonished to learn that animals were being fired aloft in U.S. and Soviet research rockets in the late 1940s. In fact most people not only believe that the Russian space dog Laika was the first canine to be launched into space, but also that the high-profile, precursory Mercury flights of chimps Ham and Enos were the only primate flights conducted by the United States. In fact, both countries had sent literally dozens of animals aloft for many years prior to these events and continued to do so for many years after. Other latter-day space nations, such as France and China, would also begin to use animals in their own space research. __Animals in Space__ will explain why dogs, primates, mice and other rodents were chosen and tested, at a time when dedicated scientists from both space nations were determined to establish the survivability of human subjects on both ballistic and orbital space flights. It will also recount the way this happened; the secrecy involved and the methods employed, and offer an objective analysis of how the role of animals as spaceflight test subjects not only evolved, but subsequently changed over the years in response to a public outcry led by animal activists. It will explore the ways in which animal high-altitude and space flight research impacted on space flight biomedicine and technology, and how the results - both successful and disappointing - allowed human beings to then undertake that same hazardous journey with far greater understanding and confidence. This book is intended as a detailed yet highly readable and balanced account of the history of animal space flights, and the resultant application of hard-won research to space technology and astrobiology. It will undoubtedly become the ultimate authority on animal space flights. This Book Examines In Unprecedented Detail The Entire History Of Animal Atmospheric And Space Flights, From Balloon Ascents And Ballistic Journeys Atop Notoriously Unreliable Rockets To Trips Around The Moon And, More Recently, Aboard Numerous Space Shuttles And Space Stations.--book Jacket. 1. Taming The Rockets : From Wrath To Research -- 2. Holloman And The Albert Hall Of Fame -- 3. Pioneers Of Destiny : The Suborbital Dog Flights -- 4. High-altitude Research -- 5. Able And Baker Lead The Way -- 6. The Most Famous Dog In History -- 7. Prelude To Manned Space Flight -- 8. Pioneers In A Weightless World -- 9. Biting The Hand -- 10. Cosmos/bion : The Age Of The Biosatellites -- 11. End Of An Era -- 12. Shuttling Into Space -- 13. Epilogue -- App. A. U.s. Monkey Research Flights -- App. B. Soviet Space Dog Programme -- App. C. U.s. Biological Rocket Flights, 1946-1960 -- App. D. French Biological Rocket Flights, 1961-1967 -- App. E. Chinese T-7 Sounding Rocket Launches -- App. F. Bion Research Flights -- App. G. Space Shuttle Life Science Orbital Flights. Colin Burgess And Chris Dubbs. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xlix Taming the rockets: From wrath to research....Pages 1-23 Holloman and the Albert Hall of Fame....Pages 25-59 Pioneers of destiny: The suborbital dog flights....Pages 61-84 High-altitude research....Pages 85-119 Able and Baker lead the way....Pages 121-141 The most famous dog in history....Pages 143-167 Prelude to manned space flight....Pages 169-201 Pioneers in a weightless world....Pages 203-237 Biting the hand....Pages 239-275 Cosmos/Bion: The age of the biosatellites....Pages 277-305 End of an era....Pages 307-336 Shuttling into space....Pages 337-371 Epilogue....Pages 373-374 Back Matter....Pages 375-406 This book is as a detailed, but highly readable and balanced account of the history of animal space flights carried out by all nations, but principally the United States and the Soviet Union. It explores the ways in which animal high-altitude and space flight research impacted on space flight biomedicine and technology, and how the results - both successful and disappointing - allowed human beings to then undertake that same hazardous journey with far greater understanding and confidence. This complete and authoritative book will undoubtedly become the ultimate authority on animal space flights.