St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 208

Fugitive from Paris alleys survives 100-mile rocket trip At .1 -f: 1 Because she tipped the scales just right, Felicette, a Paris alley cat, was selected by French research scientists for a rocket trip over the Sahara Desert joining such animal heroes of the Space Age as Sam. the United Stales monkey, and Strelka, the Russian dog. The astro-cat zoomed to a height of 100 miles in a space craft named Veronique. Readings from an electrode inserted in her brain were radioed to scientists on earth, who checked on her reactions to the flight. When the French decided to use cats for test flights of space vehicles, they prepared 14 feline candidates.

A rather reluctant Felicette was selected for the dubious honor because she was the only cat at the correct weight on the day of the shoot all the others had eaten too much. The space shot, from Harnmaguir, North Africa, was a success, for Felicette at least. She returned to earth by parachute after being ejected from the rocket. VPl Photo ao, If stf- I fc? sf 2' 'i5- qii ii ink a FeLcette's-Jact of enthusiasm rums to hopeless protest as she is strapped in a "lying down" frame. A few weeks earh'er, Felicette roamed streets of Paris.

V1. J' I TlK A technician is about to insert Felicette into the type of cylinder that served as her space capsule during the flight over the Sahara. On the flight, wiring was attached to electrode in the skull. PICTURES St. Louit Post-Dispatch, Sunday, January 5, 1 964 21.