First cat in space: how a Parisian stray called Félicette was blasted far from Earth

Félicette flew on a French rocket on a sub-orbital mission. She survived, but was later put down so scientists could study her body. Photograph: Matthew Guy

In a few weeks, space scientists will celebrate a remarkable event – the 60th anniversary of the launch of the first cat into space, an astronautical feat that has never been repeated.

A small black-and-white Parisian stray, Félicette, flew on a French rocket on a sub-orbital mission in October 1963 that reached an altitude of 154km, taking her to a place where no feline had gone before – or since.