Ham, the first Astro Chimp in Outer Space

I love Monkeys.Monkeys are amazing,super intelligent creatures, but also thoughtful, caring and mischievious.....

Even more amazing are ASTRO CHIMPS...............

Back in 1949, Albert II became the first monkey in space,reaching 134 km (83 miles)-past the Karman line of 100 km (taken to designate the beginning of space).MAny Astro Chimps followed, but none so legendary as Ham.

Ham is my all time favourite astro chimp and was the first to be successfully launched into OUTER space...After only 16 minutes into the flight, Ham's capsule suffered a partial loss of pressure. Fortunately, Ham's space suit prevented him from suffering any harm, although it couldn't prevent the capsule from experiencing further problems...eventually falling into the Atlantic Ocean.
Ham survived. He suffered only a bruised nose.



Following his successful space mission, Ham became a worldwide celebrity and made repeated television appearances. He later also made his film debut with Evil Knievell.

On January 19, 1983, at the age of 26, Ham passed away in North Carolina Zoo.

Ham had a backup, Minnie. She was the only female chimp trained for the Mercury program.
After her role in the Mercury program ended, Minnie became part of an Air Force chimpanzee breeding program, producing nine offspring and helping to raise the offspring of several other members of the chimpanzee colony. She was the last surviving astro-chimp.






A few Monkey facts:

• Monkeys don't get colds


• A monkey was once tried and convicted for smoking a cigarette in South Bend, Indiana


• There are 125 species of monkey


• Spider monkeys pollinate certain plant species. When drinking a plant's nectar, they pick up pollen on their face and carry it to another plant, which is then fertilised.


• The spider monkey will break off heavy branches and drop them from trees to scare off intruders

Proof that chimps are highly intelligent: http://www.kewego.co.uk/video/iLyROoaftCda.html

More facts

• Monkeys have tails, apes do not


• Chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans all catch colds, but monkeys do not.


• When monkeys yawn, it's not only because they are tired, it's also because they are mad.


• Monkeys peel their bananas, they don't eat the skin.


• All monkeys like to be clean so they have a barber monkey who cleans out their fur. The barber monkey's reward is the bugs from the other monkey's fur.


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