Humans have been blasting themselves into the void of outer space since the early 60’s, but we were hardly the first species to do so. Certainly, there is no record of a prehistoric space program (in fact, the lack of a Dinosaur Aeronautics and Space Administration (or DASA) is seen as one of the reasons the ancient creatures are now extinct) but humans have been sending other creatures, however unwillingly, into outer space for a long time. After all, before we went, we had no idea what would happen to formerly gravity-bound organisms in space, so we sent a whole fleet of brave four-, eight-, and hundred-legged creatures long before Yuri Gagarin. Here are some of the most noteworthy cosmo/astronauts, and the stories behind their journeys.

Laika

Laika: A pioneering pooch. (Source: NASA)

Laika the dog might be the most iconic rags-to-riches (in a sense) story of the modern day. Living as a ragged Moscow street dog, Laika was picked up by Soviet scientists who needed someone (or some dog) to ride in their Sputnik 2 spacecraft in 1957. While Laika is widely known as the first animal to orbit the Earth, she sadly did not survive the ordeal. After only a few hours into the trip, she died from overheating-- not, as the USSR originally claimed, from oxygen deprivation.

Hector the Rat

France's First Astronaut! (Source: The Green Box)

Hector, possibly the most adorable astronaut ever, was the first French creature to be sent into space. In 1961, the cheese-loving cosmonaut was launched 93 miles and was, delightfully, recovered safe and sound. However, despite his thrilling antics, Hector never truly made it to space, as the general marker for the beginning of "outer space" is 600 miles above Earth's surface. Even more unfortunately, Hector was euthanized and autopsied 6 months later to study the effects space had on his tiny body.

Tardigrades

The tiniest (and only) bears to ever travel to space. (Source: BBC)

Tardigrades, the water-dwelling indestructible organisms with eight legs, have had many adventures while under human investigation, and thrive in impossible environments. Space is no exception; when thousands of tardigrades blasted off in 2007 on the Foton-M3 spacecraft. Despite being exposed to the unforgiving environment of space, the hardy beasts survived and even managed to reproduce and create healthy offspring. The small segmented creatures are even considered viable evidence for the ability for life on other planets, moons, and asteroids to develop, survive, and multiply.