Let's explore 8 animals that have been to space before humans.
Fruit fly were the first animals to go into space for study the impact of cosmic radiation on astronauts. They were chosen for its genetic similarity to humans.
Apes and monkeys, including chimpanzees, macaques, and rhesus, were sent into space.
Tardigrades were sent to space in 2007. They were the first animals to survive in outer space.
A stray dog named Latika from Moscow became the first animal to orbit the Earth in 1957.
The mummichog was the first fish to reach space.
A spider named "Arabella" was the first arachnids to sent itno space in 1973.
In 1970, NASA launched two bullfrogs into orbit on the Orbiting Frog Otolith spacecraft.
The soviet union sent two steppe tortoises into space in 1968 on Zond 5 spacecarft.