Ham

I've had a really fun time putting together this theme week, and wouldlike to end on a happy note with Ham the Astrochimp! The first ape in space!

Ham post-mission
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There had been several animals in space before Ham. Mice, Dogs, andMonkeys had all been launched, but the purpose of Ham's trip was toprove something beyond survivability. Ham was trained to performcommands, so that reaction times could be recorded and assessed.

He was born in Camaroon in 1956, and in 1959 was brought to HollomanAir Force base, which would be the inspiration for his name: Holloman Aerospace MedicalCenter. (He was originally named #65, and didn't obtain an actual nameuntil after his successful mission) There were originally 40 animals inthe program, but it was eventually whittled down to just six,including Ham. These six chimpanzees were placed in Mercury mock-upsand trained to pull levers when prompted by lights. If they performed the task correctly, they were given a banana pellet; incorrect answers resulted in a small electric shock to the feet.

On January 31, 1961, Ham was selected to be the test subject aboardProject Mercury capsule MR-2. The original plan was that he wouldtravel to an altitude of 115 miles, and reach a speed of 4,400 mph.Technical difficulties resulted in an altitude of 157 miles, and a topspeed of 5,857 mph. There was a temporary loss of pressure in thecabin, but Ham's suit protected him from harm. He was up for 16.5minutes, including 6.6 minutes of weightlessness.

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Ham was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean later that day, and was foundto be in overall good health, albeit fatigued and a bit dehydrated. Theresults of Ham's test showed that reaction time in space was only abit slower than on earth, proving that tasks could be performed. Alittle more than three months later, the United States sent their firsthuman being, Alan Shepard, into space.

Ham retired from space flight and went to live in the National Zoo from1963-1980. He was moved to the North Carolina Zoological Park in 1980,where he lived until his death at age 26 in 1983. Ham's skeleton wasretained by the Armed Forces for ongoing testing, and the rest of hisremains were buried at the International Space Hall of Fame in New Mexico. A plaque and a memorial garden mark the spot.