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Ham the astrochimp after his historic 1961 suborbital flight. Aboard a NASA space capsule, traveling thousands of miles an hour almost 160 miles above the Earth, he became the first chimp in space.![space_chimp_2]()
Astrochimp in training, 1960.![space_chimp_3]()
"A hug and a pat are exchanged in a moment of fond reassurance."![space_chimp_4]()
A chimp is strapped into a "couch" rigged with all manner of monitoring equipment during a test prior to Ham's January 1961 flight.![space_chimp_5]()
An astrochimp learns to handle equipment at Holloman AFB, 1960.![space_chimp_6]()
Astrochimp in training at Holloman Air Force Base, 1960.![space_chimp_7]()
A Mercury space capsule carries Ham the astrochimp into space on Jan. 31, 1961. His flight lasted 16 minutes and 39 seconds.America's first space monkey
On the morning of January 31, 1961, in south Florida, a 5-year-old chimpanzee — dubbed “Ham” by his handlers — ate a breakfast of baby cereal, condensed milk, vitamins and half an egg. Then the unassuming 37-pound primate went out and made aeronautic history. Check out the full slideshow at LIFE.com.
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- America's first space monkey
