The first monkey to be launched into space went up on a June 14, 1949, V-2 rocket to 83 miles, approximately 134 km

Rhesus monkey (Albert II)
The first monkey to be launched into space went up on a June 14, 1949, V-2 rocket to 83 miles, approximately 134 km. Sadly died on impact. He was sent into space to investigate biological responses to rocket travel. Later, Gordo the squirrel monkey flew in 1958 to a height of 310 miles. Such flights provide valuable data on heart rate, breathing, and other bodily processes in space.