This was the early '50s, before astronauts ever reached space. Scientists wanted to know how mammals would react to short bursts of zero G, so a few very confused felines found themselves along for the ride. The cat program was short-lived and was soon replaced by other animals that were considered more "useful" for biomedical research. Still, it's one of the strangest chapters in the early Space Age.
Imagine explaining that to your cat 😄 2/2
Im-paws-ible!!! A kitty in the cockpit? 😹 Yep. Back in the day, the USAF briefly used cats to study the effects of weightlessness during parabolic flights... 1/2