The first chimpanzee in space was named Ham. He was launched into space by the United States on January 31, 1961, as part of the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission. Ham’s successful flight was a critical test of the spacecraft systems and helped demonstrate that humans could survive and function in space. The mission lasted about 16.5 minutes, during which Ham experienced weightlessness and successfully performed tasks that indicated that an astronaut could also perform duties in space. After the flight, Ham landed safely in the Atlantic Ocean and lived for many years.