Three African Postage Stamps Honored Astrocat Félicette’s 1963 Flight

Summary: In the 1990s, three African postage stamps honored astrocat Félicette’s 1963 flight, a flight that rates as the first and only feline spaceflight.

In the 1990s, postage stamps honoring astrocat Félicette, misnamed as Félix, were issued by Niger (left) in 1999, by the Comoros (top right) in 1992 and by Chad (bottom right) in 1997: Dr. Samanthorium @samanthorium, via Twitter Nov. 18, 2014

In the 1990s, three African postage stamps honored astrocat Félicette’s 1963 flight as the first feline spaceflight.

Félicette’s historic flight was launched from North Africa. In the 1990s, three African countries commemorated the brave feline’s milestone by issuing postage stamps in her honor. Unfortunately, her name was given as Félix, not Félicette. The date of her flight was incorrect on two stamps. The stamps dated her flight to “1er Octobre 1963” (1st October 1963). Her flight actually took place Oct. 18.

On Monday, March 30, 1992, the République Fédérale Islamique des Comores (Federal and Islamic Republic of the Comoros), now known as the Union of the Comoros, issued seven stamps under the theme of Airmail -- Space Research. The third stamp (Michel Catalogue number 991; StampWorld.com number 972) was captioned: “Chat Félix Dans Fusée ‘Véronique’ (France) 1er octobre 1963.” The Comoros are located in the Indian Ocean, off Africa’s eastern coast.

On Monday, June 16, 1997, the République du Tchad (Republic of Chad) issued seven stamps under the theme of History of Space Exploration. The first six units (StampWorld.com numbers 1481 through 1516) were printed in souvenir sheets of six stamps. The last in the issue (Michel Catalogue number B273; Scott Catalogue number 711; StampWorld.com number 1517) was printed as one large stamp per souvenir sheet. The stamp portrays Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin from Apollo 10; Laika 3 Nov 1957; “Chat Félix 1er Oct 1963.” Chad is located in north-central Africa.

On Thursday, Dec. 2, 1999, the République du Niger (Republic of the Niger) issued four stamps (Michel Catalogue numbers 1725 to 1728; Scott Catalogue numbers 1035a to 1035d; StampWorld.com numbers 1729 to 1732) under the theme of Animals in Space. Niger is located in West Africa and is bordered by Algeria to the northwest.

The stamp honoring Félicette, under the misnomer of Félix, was one of four on a souvenir sheet. The issue also honored “Singe Ham,” “Chienne Laïka” and “Araignée Arabella.”

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) launched Ham the Chimp Tuesday, Jan. 31, 1961, on a Mercury-Redstone 2 (MR-2) spacecraft from east central Florida’s Cape Canaveral. Ham became the first hominid in space with his successful suborbital flight.

Launched Sunday, Nov. 3, 1957, on the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 2, Laïka was the first animal to orbit Earth. Unfortunately, she did not survive her flight. The Moscow street stray apparently succumbed to overheating within hours of her launch from the Soviet spaceport, Baikonur Cosmodrome, near Tuyratam in southern Kazakhstan.

NASA sent Arabella, a common cross spider (Araneus diadematus), to space for mission three, designated as SL-3, on Skylab, the first United States space station. SL-3, the second of three manned missions to Skylab, spanned 59 days, from July 28-Sept. 25, 1973. On Sunday, Aug. 5, 1973, Arabella became the first spider to weave a web in space. Arabella and her companion, Anita, died during the mission.

Parisian black-and-white feline Félicette’s historic flight took place Friday, Oct. 18, 1963, at 07:09 a.m. Coordinated Universal Time (8:09 a.m. Central European Time). The Véronique AGI (Année Géophysique Internationale) V47 rocket carrying Félicette in a capsule in the nose cone lifted off from the Blandine launch site at France’s launch and ballistic missile testing complex near the village of Hammaguir in northwestern Algeria.

From liftoff to touchdown, Félicette’s flight lasted 636 seconds (10 minutes 36 seconds). Fifty-six years after her flight, Félicette’s accomplishment still stands as the only successful spaceflight by a feline.

Another, unnamed participant in France’s feline spaceflight program was selected for the mission’s second flight. Launched six days after Félicette’s success, the second flight failed disastrously. The Véronique AGI V50 lifted off Thursday, Oct. 24, 1963, from the Blandine launch site in the Sahara Desert. In Animals in Space (2007), military and space flight writers Colin Burgess and Chris Dubbs note the rocket’s instability and off-course veering during the ascent. At a height of 55 miles (88.5 kilometers), the rocket exploded and plummeted to the ground. The rocket’s crash site was distanced 75 miles (120.7 kilometers) from the Blandine launch site. An extensive helicopter search finally located the rocket’s nose cone, with its deceased feline occupant, two days after the launch.

The takeaway for three African postage stamps issued in the 1990s in honor of astrocat Félicette’s flight is that, although misnaming Félicette as Félix, the postal honors from the Comoros in 1992, from Chad in 1997 and from Niger in 1999 commemorated Earth’s only astrocat and Africa’s role, as launch site, in Félicette’s unique achievement.

Ham the Astrochimp (left), first hominid in space; Laïka (top right), first animal to orbit Earth; squirrel monkey Miss Baker (center right), one of first two animals successfully launched into space and safely returned by the United States; Arabella (bottom right), first spider to spin a web in space: Ericka Duffy @DuffyEricka, via Twitter March 6, 2018

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

In the 1990s, postage stamps honoring astrocat Félicette, misnamed as Félix, were issued by Niger (left) in 1999, by the Comoros (top right) in 1992 and by Chad (bottom right) in 1997: Dr. Samanthorium @samanthorium, via Twitter Nov. 18, 2014, @ https://twitter.com/samanthorium/status/534668220029235200

Ham the Astrochimp (left), first hominid in space; Laïka (top right), first animal to orbit Earth; squirrel monkey Miss Baker (center right), one of first two animals successfully launched into space and safely returned by the United States; Arabella (bottom right), first spider to spin a web in space: Ericka Duffy @DuffyEricka, via Twitter March 6, 2018, @ https://twitter.com/DuffyEricka/status/970988655232847872

For further information:

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Caswell, Kurt. Laika's Window: The Legacy of a Soviet Space Dog. San Antonio TX: Trinity University Press, 2018.

Chad. “1997 History of Space Exploration.” StampWorld > Chad -- Postage Stamps (1990-1999) > Number 1517. June 16, 1997.
Available @ https://www.stampworld.com/en/stamps/Chad/Postage%20stamps/1990-1999?page=7

Chad. "1997, Space Exploration." Freestampcatalogue > Stamps > Country > Chad > Year > 1997.
Available @ https://www.freestampcatalogue.com/stamps/country/chad/year/1997-1997/

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Comoro Islands. “1992 Space Research.” StampWorld > Comoro Islands -- Postage Stamps (1990-1999) > Numbers 970-973.
Available @ https://www.stampworld.com/en/stamps/Comoro-Islands/Postage%20stamps/1990-1999?year=1992

Comoros. "1992, Space Explorations." Freestampcatalogue > Stamps > Country > Comoros > Year > 1992.
Available @ https://www.freestampcatalogue.com/stamps/country/comoros/year/1992-1992

Dr. Samanthorium ‏@samanthorium. “Space stamps featuring Félicette the cat, launched by CERMA in 1963, recorded alive after 15 min flight. #science.” Twitter. Nov. 18, 2014.
Available @ https://twitter.com/samanthorium/status/534668220029235200

Ericka Duffy ‏@DuffyEricka. “Replying to @therealelp Félicette i.e. 'AstroCat', Ham the 'AstroChimp', and Laika the 'SpaceDog' seems like a film just waiting to happen -- or the band in Jetsons episode. . . .” Twitter. March 6, 2018.
Available @ https://twitter.com/DuffyEricka/status/970988655232847872

Marriner, Derdriu. “Félicette, Earth’s Only Astrocat, Flew to Space and Back Oct. 18, 1963.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014.
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Marriner, Derdriu. “Parisian Stray Félicette Became First Astrocat Oct. 18, 1963.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/11/parisian-stray-felicette-became-first.html

Niger. “1999 Animals in Space.” StampWorld > Niger -- Postage Stamps (1990-1999) > 1999 > Numbers 1729-1732. Dec. 2, 1999.
Available @ https://www.stampworld.com/en/stamps/Niger/Postage%20stamps/1990-1999?year=1999

Niger. "1999, Animals in Space." Freestampcatalogue > Stamps > Country > Niger > Year > 1999.
Available @ https://www.freestampcatalogue.com/stamps/country/niger/year/1999-1999

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Sept Jours du Monde. “Félicette, la 1ère Chatte Astronaute.” Radiodiffusion Télévision Française. Nov. 15, 1963.
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Snee, Charles, ed. "Chad (Tchad): 1997 History of Space Travel." Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, vol. 2 C-F: 222. Sidney OH: Amos Media Co., May 2015.

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