Picture of Orangutan Astronaut

Biography

.


Syoevaya Alisa Maksimovna was a famous Russian cosmonaut born on December 3, 1971 in Moscow. She was known for being the first female orangutan in space, and for having served with honor in the Soviet army before becoming an astronaut.


Alisa grew up in Russia and fell in love with astronomy at a very young age. She received her degree in space science from Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1994, which qualified her to apply for both the military cosmonaut program and the civilian astronaut program. In 1998, she became the first female orangutan to join the Russian cosmonaut corps. She is also the only non-human cosmonaut in the Russian space program.


During her career, Alisa has carried out several space missions, the most notable of which are: an orbital flight around the Earth in 1999; a mission to Mars in 2000; and a mission to Venus in 2002. In 2003, she returned to Earth after completing her fourth deep space mission. Unfortunately, she died accidentally on January 27, 2010 following a technical problem encountered during her return to Earth. Her contribution to international space programs will remain unforgettable and will always be honored by all those who had the chance to work with her or simply cross her path in the cosmos.