The first chimpanzee in orbit

In his time, he was considered something of a space pioneer. And it was no wonder. It was the first chimpanzee in orbit. This November 29 marks the 63rd anniversary of the journey of Enos, the second chimpanzee launched into space and the first to complete the orbit of the Earth. He completed this feat in 1961.

Enos completed a complete chimponaut course, with 1,250 hours of training. He completed it at the University of Kentucky and Holloman Air Force Base. Training was more intense for him than for his predecessor Ham. This was because Enos was exposed to weightlessness and higher g-forces for longer periods of time. His training included psychomotor instruction and airplane flights.

The first chimpanzee in orbit is commemorated, launched 63 years ago.
The first chimpanzee in orbit is commemorated, launched 63 years ago.

Advanced learner

He was taught the maneuvers he had to perform during the flight, using a reward-punishment system. He rewarded him for correct maneuvers and gave him electric shocks for wrong ones. Once launched into space, in a prototype of the Mercury spacecraft, it had to deal with operational failures inside the capsule. The system was reversed and Enos was given electric shocks for every successful maneuver he made.

Instead of altering his behavior, Enos withstood the electrical shocks and made the flight maneuvers he knew were correct. The flight put him into orbit around the Earth twice and he landed alive.

His name was Enos and he managed to return alive thanks to his apprenticeship.
His name was Enos and he managed to return alive thanks to his apprenticeship.

historical essay

The first chimpanzee in orbit was a dress rehearsal for the launch of Mercury on February 20, 1962. This would make John Glenn the first American to orbit the Earth. It was shortly after the successful suborbital space flights of astronauts Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom.

On November 4, 1962, Enos died of dysentery. It is believed that Enos’s remains were dissected like those of Ham, which was extensively studied post-mortem.

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