In 1951, Yorick the monkey and 11 mice rode an Aerobee rocket to 236,000 feet; the flight showed animals could survive launch and landing, though Yorick died after touchdown

In 1951, a rhesus monkey named Yorick embarked on a groundbreaking mission aboard a rocket, soaring nearly forty-five miles above the New Mexico desert alongside eleven mice. Despite a successful parachute deployment, the capsule's overheating led to Yorick's tragic death from heat prostration before rescue teams could arrive. This mission yielded invaluable data that paved the way for future human space exploration.