Before an American astronaut ever climbed into a Mercury capsule, NASA needed proof that its emergency escape system actually worked. So the agency turned to a little rhesus monkey called Miss Sam. Miss Sam was launched on January 21, 1960, to test the launch escape system built into the Mercury spacecraft, according to NASA's official history of animals in space. Her brief, unusual flight was ultimately successful and helped pave the way for human spaceflight.
Why NASA needed a monkey named Miss Sam
