![]() ![]() Some were killed, and others were severely maimed, although the exact numbers were not documented. Strapped into small, pitch-dark metal capsules, they were spun, jettisoned, and catapulted on track courses and in decompression chambers. During that time, chimpanzees were used to test the forces of gravity, the effects of high-speed movement, and other conditions anticipated in space travel. The height of the space research program involving chimpanzees lasted from the early 1950s to the early 1960s. As the space race heated up, they were used increasingly as test subjects for space flight research. Mice, guinea pigs, and several species of monkeys were used in experiments prior to human space flight.Ĭhimpanzees had been used in military flight experiments starting in the early 1950s. The United States accelerated its space program and began consuming increasing numbers of nonhuman animals for space flight research. Our deep fear of the possibility of Soviet scientific supremacy was quickly reinforced by the November launch of Sputnik II carrying the dog, Laika. Air Force secured the capture of 65 young and infant chimpanzees in Africa and used them to establish an aeronautical research facility at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, New Mexico.Īmerica’s perception of itself as the world’s preeminent scientific and technical leader was shaken in October 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik into orbit. Read more information about conditions at the Coulston Foundation. Meet some of the Air Force survivors: Dana and Hanzie. Many of these unfortunate chimpanzees ended up in the hands of Fred Coulston, a toxicologist.Ĭhimpanzees: tools for the air & space raceĬhimpanzee, name unknown, strapped for “training” Air Force (USAF) as part of the Air & Space Research program.Īfter the first successful manned space flights, the Air Force leased out most of its surviving chimpanzees for use in biomedical experiments rather than sending them to sanctuaries. Roughly forty per cent of the body was covered with second and third degree burns.ġ6 September and 26 October 1954, 8 February 1955.Ĭhimpanzees captured from their homelands in Africa were injured or killed in tests conducted by the U.S. The chimpanzee was adequately secured against flailing, but helmet and clothing proved unsatisfactory the flying suit tore and exposed the subject to serious burning from windblast. Please keep in mind, however, that the content of this course will cover all aspects of chimpanzee life, including scientific discussion of sexual and aggressive behaviors.Chimpanzee, name unknown, propelled for crash test Knowledge of high-school level biology is beneficial but not required. This course is open to everyone interested in learning more about these fascinating and complex beings. And you will employ your new knowledge of chimpanzees to construct a persuasive argument for their protection. You will learn how chimpanzees interact with their environment and how their behavior is influenced by ecology, as well as the severe conservation challenges they face today. By completing the course, you will gain a new appreciation of the deep similarities between chimpanzees and humans in intelligence, tool use, hunting, personality and social relationships, as well as some key differences. ![]() Guided by three course instructors who have lived and worked with the Gombe chimpanzees, you will learn how Goodall’s early discoveries changed our view of human uniqueness. This study continues today, following the same chimpanzee families that Jane Goodall first encountered over 55 years ago. ![]() Chimpanzees are one of our closest living relatives, yet almost nothing was known about their behavior in the wild until Jane Goodall started her groundbreaking study of the chimpanzees of Gombe, Tanzania in 1960. ![]()
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