You’ve heard of dogs in space and monkeys in space…but cats in space? That might be a new one. It’s a little known fact that the French space program successfully sent a cat named Félicette to space in 1963. One man has set out to make sure the world never forgets.
Matthew Serge Guy, a creative director from London, began a Kickstarter to build a statue that honors Félicette. He became aware of her story after seeing a tea towel that mentioned a cat in space. After some Googling, he found the whole history of this astrocat.
Turns out, Félicette was chosen from a group of 14 cats that went through rigorous training. On October 18, 1963, she was blasted into space and experienced 5 minutes of weightlessness. When she returned, her brain waves were studied to determine the effect of space on animals.
Determined to make sure that she was remembered properly for her contributions, he decided to crowdfund a statue to be placed in her native Paris. Matthew had originally set out to raise $52,681 to fund the project, and he has already surpassed his goal. The project has already raised over $55,000 from over 1,100 different backers.
As a reward for their support, these backers will receive a variety of different items according to the amount donated. The rewards range from postcards and pins to statue replicas and personalized plaques.
Support for the project is all over social media. Using #AstrocatStatue, people were able to spread the word about this amazing feline and her brave journey to space. Thanks to people like Matthew, Félicette will finally get the celebration she deserves.
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