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Sixty-one years ago, the United States sent a chimpanzee into space, and when it came back, it didn't quite right

author:The world outside of science

Sixty-one years ago, the United States sent a chimpanzee named Hamm into space, making her the first mammal to be sent into space. Hamm's journey to space shocked the world, but at the time they didn't realize that everything was wrong. It wasn't until Hamm's return that the terrible truth was discovered.

Sixty-one years ago, the United States sent a chimpanzee into space, and when it came back, it didn't quite right

Hamm was a wild chimpanzee in Hawaii that NASA announced in 1961 that he would be sent into space. The historic launch attracted widespread attention and controversy, and Hamm's journey to space made him an international star. But when Hamm stepped out of the capsule, it didn't get the warmest welcome as expected. Instead, it experienced a terrible pain. Hamm's space trip also attracted a lot of attention in the scientific community at the time, as people wanted to understand whether mammals could withstand the effects of space travel on their bodies.

Sixty-one years ago, the United States sent a chimpanzee into space, and when it came back, it didn't quite right

Hamm became the subject of this experiment because chimpanzees and humans have very similar physiology. While the experiment was a big honor for Hamm, space travel turned out to be a nightmare for chimpanzees. The experiment used a rocket called Mercury-Redstone 2, launched from Florida. When the rocket reached an altitude of 130 miles, Hamm's hatch opened, allowing him to perform a variety of missions. Unfortunately, Hamm's rocket was violently shaken during launch, making him feel very uncomfortable. Throughout the transfer, Hamm was in a state of excitement and did not fully understand the instructions given to him by the personnel on site.

Sixty-one years ago, the United States sent a chimpanzee into space, and when it came back, it didn't quite right

When Hamm returned to Earth, the situation got even worse. The hatch was stuck and difficult to open, and Hamm had to help it open it with his hand. When it returned to Earth, just like other astronauts, Hamm underwent a follow-up check to make sure it didn't suffer any damage after the flight. Shockingly, Hamm had serious problems with his body. In order to prevent problems with Hamm's diapers, the rocket uses an electric shock technology that allows Hamm to discharge freely without manual control and control the direction of excrement when necessary.

However, the rocket crew had greatly misjudged the prediction that this technology would affect Ham's body. It turned out that this electric shock technique caused Hamm's body to suffer severe damage, causing one of his hands and one foot to permanently lose some function. While Hamm's journey to space gave scientists a better understanding of how mammals react in a space environment, it turned out to come at the cost of the tragic fate of a small animal.

Sixty-one years ago, the United States sent a chimpanzee into space, and when it came back, it didn't quite right

While this experiment created great historical significance, it also reminded us that it is important to ensure that the knowledge gained through scientific experiments does not come at the expense of animal pain and suffering. To this day, Hamm's story continues to be deeply disturbing. It remains a cruel and sad warning for those concerned about animal welfare. As human interest in extraterrestrial exploration and space travel continues to grow, we must ensure that this exploration does not cause animals to suffer unnecessarily.

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