Astronauts beaten by a chimp
In January 1961, Mercury astronauts were eager to make the first space flight. NASA became increasingly cautious about the Redstone rocket they planned to use for the first mission. In January of 1961, NASA sent Ham, a three-year-old chimpanzee, on a suborbital flight to determine how space flight would impact motor skills. Ham was the closest approximation of human physiology and dexterity they could test without risking an actual astronaut’s life. This would also give NASA a chance to make final adjustments to the Redstone rocket before the first human flight. Ham’s flight deeply insulted the Mercury astronauts. They were being asked, essentially, to perform the same tasks as a chimp. The Mercury astronauts already felt NASA snatched away much of their autonomy. They had nothing personal against Ham, but the idea of a chimp getting the first flight was too much to bear.