She was not Felix. She was Félicette. Before the world knew her name, she was C341 — a quiet black-and-white cat selected for a French space mission in 1963.
On 18 October 1963, she launched aboard a Véronique AG1 rocket, reached space, experienced weightlessness, and returned alive.
A real story. A forgotten legend.
In the early 1960s, France was building its own space research program. Scientists wanted to understand how living bodies would react to acceleration, isolation, and weightlessness. Cats were chosen for neurological research, and several were trained for possible flight.
Félicette was calm, light enough for the capsule, and suitable for monitoring. Her mission code was C341. After training, sensors, and medical preparation, she became the cat selected for the flight.
Her mission was short, intense, and historic. The rocket rose beyond the edge of Earth. The capsule separated, descended by parachute, and recovery teams found her alive. Félicette became the first and only cat to complete a spaceflight and return safely.
