• Ham statue
  • Ham's grave site
  • Chimpanzee restraint suit
  • Mercury module
  • Little Joe II
  • F-1 rocket engine.
  • Moon rock
  • New Mexico Museum of Space History
Prev Next
1 of 8

Ham the Astrochimp's final resting place (photos)

Nerdy New Mexico's pilgrimage to honor Ham the Astrochimp leads to his nondescript grave marker at the New Mexico Museum of Space History.

Read Less

Statue of Ham the Astrochimp

This life-size sculpture of Ham the Astrochimp at the New Mexico Museum of Space History honors the first chimpanzee in outer space. Ham was launched into orbit in a Mercury module in 1961, before NASA sent humans into space.
Updated:
Photo by: Amanda Kooser/CNET / Caption by:

Ham the Astrochimp's grave marker

This is the wide view of Ham the Astrochimp's grave in front of the flagpoles at the New Mexico Museum of Space History. Visitors still occasionally leave flowers and bananas at the marker.
Updated:
Photo by: Amanda Kooser/CNET / Caption by:

Chimpanzee restraint suit

Ham the Astrochimp wore a restraint suit very similar to this one. He was then placed inside a fiberglass container called a primate capsule, which was set into a Mercury module and rocketed into space. Ham spent seven minutes as a weightless chimp before returning to Earth.
Updated:
Photo by: Amanda Kooser/CNET / Caption by:

Mercury modules carried chimp, humans

The New Mexico Museum of Space History features a Mercury module that visitors can climb into. A module like this one carried Ham the Astrochimp into space in 1961. Later, these modules took humans up. Ham was proof that primates could survive the journey.
Updated:
Photo by: Amanda Kooser/CNET / Caption by:

Little Joe II is a big rocket

Ham the Astrochimp is buried near an outdoor rocket park at the New Mexico Museum of Space History. This nearly 90-foot beast named Little Joe II was powered by up to nine rocket motors with a combined thrust of 860,000 pounds. It was used to test the Apollo launch escape system.
Updated:
Photo by: Amanda Kooser/CNET / Caption by:

F-1 rocket engine packs a wallop

Not far from Ham the Astrochimp sits this F-1 rocket engine, the most powerful single chamber, liquid-fuel rocket engine ever flown. It's one of many outdoor attractions at the New Mexico Museum of Space History.
Updated:
Photo by: Amanda Kooser/CNET / Caption by:

Moon rock

Ham the Astrochimp didn't make it as far as the moon, but thanks to his pioneering work, humans eventually did. This moon rock is on display at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, encased in a clear pyramid. It was collected during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
Updated:
Photo by: Amanda Kooser/CNET / Caption by:

New Mexico Museum of Space History

The New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo features four floors full of spacesuits and equipment from the history of space exploration. It is also the final resting place for Ham the Astrochimp, the first chimpanzee in outer space.
Updated:
Photo by: Amanda Kooser/CNET / Caption by:
Hot Galleries
See all

DJI Mavic Pro means never having to leave your drone home

 Drones

A look at Elon Musk's plan to move us to Mars

 Sci-Tech

Meet the new Chevrolet Trax, same as the old Chevrolet Trax

 Crossovers

Stigo L1e e-scooter will take you places

 Scooters

Stargazing on an old cowboy trail

 Sci-Tech

Close up with the wireless BeatsX Earphones

 Headphones

Kuna's Toucan sheds light on discreet home security

 Smart Home

The iPhone 7 Plus' 'portrait' mode does background blur better

 Phones

THIS SMART IRON COST $1000

How much do you hate wrinkled clothes?

A Swedish company known for its high-end ironing systems will soon begin to sell a smart iron that costs more than $1,000.

Hot Products