32. [Mercury Redstone 2] HAM, THE FIRST CHIMPANZEE IN SPACE NASA, January 1961 Printed 1961. Vintage gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper [NASA image 61-MR2-5]. With NASA caption numbered "61-MR2-5" on the reverse (issued by NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context Ham the Astrochimp was the first non-human great ape launched into space. The four-year-old male chimpanzee is shown here in a moment of relaxation at Cape Canaveral, Florida, during his training for spaceflight in a Mercury spacecraft as part of the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission. This photograph captures the pioneering spirit of NASA's early missions, a time when it was still uncertain if humans could survive space travel. The Mercury-Redstone 2 flight was part of a series of NASA launches paving the way for future manned space missions. This suborbital flight tested the spacecraft's environmental control and recovery systems. Ham was trained for the mission by the Aeromedical Field Laboratory at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. MR-2 launched on January 31, 1961, with Ham aboard. The suborbital flight lasted 16 minutes and 39 seconds, covering 420 nautical miles from Launch Complex 5 at Cape Canaveral. The spacecraft reached a maximum altitude of 157 statute miles, and Ham emerged from the 5,000-mile-an-hour journey in excellent health.