Le Chat Stuff: French Cats in Space

Share:

Facebook
X
Pinterest
LinkedIn

“To boldly go where no noms have gone before”

In 1963, France – for some unknown reason – decided it would be a cool idea to send a cat into space. French rocket propulsion engineers interviewed thousands of prospective space chats (or les chatstronauts) for this historic mission.

Unfortunately, this took quite a while, since most French cats can be found eating cheese, drinking wine, and smoking tons of cigarettes at coffeehouses. However, one heroic cat – Felix – was found at the gym doing push-ups, running on a tiny treadmill, and lifting weights. He was the clearly the perfect specimen for spaceflight, and on October 18, 1963, he became the first ever space kitty. Felix was recovered very much alive and meowing.


Emily Carney is a writer, space enthusiast, and creator of the This Space Available space blog, published since 2010. In January 2019, Emily’s This Space Available blog was incorporated into the National Space Society’s blog. The content of Emily’s blog can be accessed via the This Space Available blog category.

Note: The views expressed in This Space Available are those of the author and should not be considered as representing the positions or views of the National Space Society.

Share:

Facebook
X
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Picture of By Emily Carney

By Emily Carney

2 thoughts on “Le Chat Stuff: French Cats in Space”

Leave a Comment

Don't Miss a Beat!

Be the first to know when new articles are posted!

Search
Categories

Follow Us On Social Media

JOIN THE
GREATEST ADVENTURE

Give The Gift Of Space: Membership For Friends and Family

Book Review

Archives


Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, McLean, Virginia
June 4 - 7, 2026

Recent Blog Posts

The 44th Annual International Space Development Conference is in McLean, VA, June 4-7, 2026 The National Space Society is pleased to announce a keynote presentation...

By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent America’s human spaceflight program began 65 years ago today. On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard made history as...

By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent Image: Falcon Heavy side booster landings took place within about 5 seconds of each other at landing sites...

The 44th Annual International Space Development Conference is in McLean, VA, June 4-7, 2026 The National Space Society is pleased to announce a keynote by...

The 44th Annual International Space Development Conference is in McLean, VA, June 4-7, 2026 The National Space Society is pleased to announce its Space Pioneer...

The National Space Society invites you to the next Town Hall Thursday, April 30, 2024, 8:00 pm to 9:15 pm Eastern A Preview of the...

Guest Essay By Troy Bird Image: Soujourner on Mars in 1997, which helped inspire Troy when he was 15 years old. This past April 1st,...

Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: Douglas G. Adler Title: Space Ace: A Combat Pilot’s Journey from Vietnam to Beyond Earth Author: Robert “Hoot” Gibson Format: Hardcover/Kindle...

Your Doorway to New Worlds