Literature | History Charging StationEditor | Cultural and Historical Charging StationFlying to space has always been a dream for humanity, but it was not possible to achieve it due to technological means until the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, when there was a turning point.In 1961, the United States sent a chimpanzee into space, and what was even more exciting was that the chimpanzee returned to Earth alive, even bouncing around

Literature | History Charging Station

Editor | Cultural and Historical Charging Station

Flying to space has always been a dream for humanity, but it was not possible to achieve it due to technological means until the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, when there was a turning point.

In 1961, the United States sent a chimpanzee into space, and what was even more exciting was that the chimpanzee returned to Earth alive, even bouncing around. However, shortly after, its body underwent abnormalities. What was the matter?

01

Chimpanzee Ham, Pioneer in the US Soviet Space Race

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched its first artificial satellite, marking the arrival of the space age, which also put great pressure on the United States.

In this situation, the United States has accelerated its space program. To ensure the safety of astronauts, the United States has decided to conduct animal test flights first.

Considering that chimpanzees have the closest genetic similarity to humans,Scientists selected 40 chimpanzees from around the world and conducted intensive training for two and a half years at an air force base in New Mexico.

To motivate them to persevere, the trainer will reward them after completing the task. For the clever Ham, the best reward is a fresh banana. Every time he received a banana, Ham's face would burst into a happy smile.

Ham, who was already able to complete simple tasks at the age of 5, stood out in the "banana training" where he excelled in training based on signal light reactions and easily received rewards.

After more than two years of high-intensity training, most chimpanzees were unable to persist, leaving only six.

And Ham's data completely surpassed his peers, standing out as the number one candidate. He experienced dizziness caused by the high-speed rotation of a centrifuge and also endured enormous pressure of up to 10 times normal gravity.

At the beginning of 1961, Ham successfully passed all the assessments and welcomed his journey to space. He was about to become a pioneer and open the door to space for humanity.

02

The US Soviet Space Race: A Technology Game Crossing the Divide

Before Ham, a little dog named Leica had already gone into space.

After the successful entry of artificial satellites into space, the Soviet Union received great recognition, but at this time, the United States was still pressing behind, which also made the Soviet Union prepare for the next step with great urgency.

They proposed a bold idea: sending live humans into space!

At that time, this was full of uncertainties and risks, and many scientists attempted to dissuade it. However, for the Soviet leadership, completing this feat would demonstrate the superiority of the socialist system.

After discussion, they decided to use animal testing as a step, and selecting suitable animals became the primary task.

One view is that cats should be chosen because they are agile and flexible, able to cope with space environments, but the training is difficult and ultimately abandoned.

Some people suggest using rabbits, but considering that rabbits are easily frightened and not suitable, after careful consideration,Soviet scientists finally decided to use dogs that showed gentle behavior, which not only made training easy, but also had a close relationship with humans and could cooperate to complete various tasks.

A female stray dog named Leica was selected and subjected to high-intensity training by scientists to adapt to the space environment.

However, due to technological limitations, Leica was destined to be only a one-way passenger. In November 1957, Leica entered orbit on a satellite, becoming the first Earth life to enter space.

However, the good times did not last long. The spacecraft malfunction caused the cabin temperature to soar, and Leica died in extreme pain. Although the final outcome was tragic, this mission accumulated valuable experience.

Ham was born under such circumstances, and American experts believe that successfully completing animal space experiments is crucial.

03

Ham's Space Journey

On the path of scientific exploration, every breakthrough requires the courage and sacrifice of pioneers.

On the morning of January 31, 1961, Ham arrived at the launch site, preparing to enter space for the first time as a test object for the US Mercury program.

After two and a half years of high-intensity training, Ham had to repeat various movements every day under the supervision of the trainer, such as responding specifically to the flashing blue light.

Any slight mistake will result in electric shock punishment, and only when all are completed will there be a banana reward. Under repeated reinforcement, these simple actions have become conditioned reflexes for Ham.

Ten, nine, eight... "The countdown echoed through the base, and as the final moment approached, Ham calmly sat in the return capsule, unaware of the unknown that was about to come.

In the closed cabin, it instinctively reached out to reach for the bananas in the hands of the staff, hoping to receive the final reward.

Three, two, one... launch! "The rocket ignited with a bang, breaking through the sunrise and soaring into the clouds.

However, the situation quickly changed, with the rocket deviating from its intended orbit and directly sending Ham up to an altitude of 252 kilometers above the ground, which far exceeded the original plan of 185 kilometers and also exceeded scientists' estimates of Ham's endurance.

At such a high altitude, Ham suffered an unprecedented test.

The weak atmosphere cannot provide enough oxygen, and the huge pressure difference causes its body to deform and twist.

According to measurements, the spacecraft is flying in orbit at a speed of 8046 kilometers per hour, while the oxygen and pressure inside the return capsule are rapidly losing. After just 6 minutes of space flight, the system issued an abnormal alarm, and the return capsule began to fall, ultimately falling into the Atlantic Ocean.

Before the search and rescue ship arrived, scientists anxiously waited for Ham's fate. When the return capsule was successfully salvaged, amidst cheers, everyone happily discovered that Ham was not only alive, but also in good spirits.

It couldn't wait to climb out of the cabin door and snatched an apple from the hands of the staff, nibbling on it. It didn't look like it had just returned from space. After inspection, it was found that except for a slight scratch on its nose, it was not a major problem.

Despite the short duration of this space trip, Ham completed the mission and demonstrated that living organisms can survive in space, marking a historic first step towards human spaceflight.

Ham's courage and sacrifice brought humanity closer to the moon and the universe. It will forever be recorded in history and become a pioneer in human conquest of space.

However, Ham's story did not end there. In order to recover his health, he was sent to the National Zoo in Washington for special care.

At first, Ham behaved as usual, still lively and active, but a few days later, the staff discovered that it had various abnormalities.

Ham no longer took the initiative to move around, but instead sat in a corner and showed no interest in food. He needed artificial feeding, and his originally mischievous and mischievous personality seemed to have disappeared.

After examination, experts were surprised to find that Ham's heart was in a high-speed running state, with a heart rate far above normal, which directly led to its physical failure. Expert analysis suggests that it may be due to myocardial damage caused by the space environment. In addition, Ham's multiple organ function also experienced varying degrees of failure.

Afterwards, the US government dispatched top doctors to fully rescue Ham, hoping to extend his life. But it was too late. In 1983, Ham passed away at a zoo in North Carolina at the age of only 26, less than half the average lifespan of chimpanzees.

Despite paying a heavy price, Ham still completed his mission and opened the door to human space exploration. His brave 16 minute journey in space pointed the way for his successors. Humanity will eventually embark on a journey and reach the sea of stars on the path it has opened up.

04

Ham's anomaly

To commemorate Ham's contributions, the National Space Heroes Cemetery in New Mexico has dedicated a monument to him, buried alongside the deceased American astronaut. Ham's courage and exploratory spirit are enough to match any human astronaut.

Although Ham's mission is small, it is of great significance to the US space program. It successfully demonstrated that living organisms can live in space in a short period of time, taking a crucial step towards manned spaceflight in the future.

Due to concerns about public opposition to animal experiments, Ham was initially only referred to as "Experiment Body 65" until the mission was successful.

In fact, before Ham, the US Air Force had conducted multiple test flights using monkeys. But the process was tortuous, and the first few attempts ended in failure, with multiple monkeys killed. After unremitting efforts, scientists gradually accumulated experience and had the opportunity to let Ham complete the task perfectly.

Despite Ham's safe return, the US government did not treat him as a hero. He only received an apple and half an orange as a reward and was later sent to the Washington Zoo to live a lonely life. It was not until his later years that Ham was able to live with his fellow chimpanzees.

Although Ham made great sacrifices for the aerospace industry, the space race continues. Although Ham successfully flew into space, the Soviet Union did not give up on the space race.

In April 1961, Gagarin became the first person to enter Earth orbit, opening a new era of human space exploration. In order to catch up with the Soviet Union, the United States also sent astronaut Shepard into space a month later.

After the two countries have completed manned flights one after another, the competition between the two countries has become increasingly intense. In order to establish their space dominance, the United States has announced plans to achieve manned lunar landings within 10 years.

This has driven significant progress in aerospace technology in areas such as orbital rendezvous and docking,In 1969, Apollo 11 achieved its first lunar landing in human history, and the United States won the space race.

Despite the competition and conflict between the two countries, space is still common to humanity. Whether it's Ham, Gagarin, or Armstrong, they all pushed humanity into space in their own way, leaving an extraordinary page behind.

We should remember their dedication and courage, and reflect on the relationship between technological development and the value of life. Space belongs to all humanity and requires us to jointly explore and protect it.

Behind the space race, many animals sacrificed their lives for human space dreams, not only Ham, but also several monkeys who died before him. During the same period, the Soviet Union also used various animals for space experiments, which took huge risks but did not receive the respect they deserved.

Animals have made important contributions to the development of space technology, and by detecting their vital features, scientists have collected valuable data, laying the foundation for designing manned spacecraft. For example, Ham's reaction test shows that the intelligence of life under space conditions is not significantly affected. This provides a guarantee for sending people to heaven in the future.

In the current era of space stations, animal experiments have been greatly reduced, but under the conditions at that time, their sacrifice propelled humanity into space and should be recognized by history.

Humanity should uphold the spirit of science and conduct necessary experiments with caution while respecting life. The space dream requires the participation of many lives and requires us to move forward with a noble pursuit and gratitude.

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