The Alberts

Mission Stats

Albert I was a rhesus monkey and the first primate launched toward space in June 1948. Carried by a US Army V2 rocket from White Sands, New Mexico, he reached an altitude of 63km — just below the Kármán line. He did not survive the mission due to a parachute failure on descent. His mission marked humanity's first step toward understanding how living beings respond to the upper atmosphere.

Mission Stats

Albert II became the first animal to truly reach space, launched on June 14, 1949. His V2 rocket climbed to an astonishing 134km — well above the Kármán line at 100km. He survived the ascent and experienced weightlessness in space. Tragically, the parachute system failed again on descent, and Albert II did not survive re-entry. He is recognized as the first primate in outer space.

Mission Stats

Albert III was launched on September 16, 1949. Unlike his predecessors who perished on descent, Albert III met his fate much earlier — the V2 rocket exploded at approximately 10.7km altitude. His mission was brief but not without purpose: it led to crucial changes in rocket design and launch protocols. His loss accelerated the development of safer ejection and recovery systems for future animals in space.

Mission Stats

Albert IV was the last of the Albert missions, launched on December 8, 1949. He reached an altitude of 130.6km, again crossing the boundary of space. Instruments monitored his heart rate and respiration throughout the flight — the most comprehensive biological data yet gathered from a space mission. He survived the flight but perished on impact when the parachute system failed for the fourth time. His data shaped the design of future crewed missions.