In 1963, France sent a stray cat 154 km into space; Félicette survived the flight, was euthanized for research, and honoured with a bronze statue

In 1963, France sent stray cat Félicette 154 km into space, making her the first and only cat to travel beyond Earth. She survived the flight but was later euthanized for research; decades later, a bronze statue was unveiled in her honour. She retains a unique place in the pantheon of animal astronauts, as the first and only cat to have travelled into space.