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An Ounce - For Your ConsiderationAuthor: Jim Fugate
Discover hidden stories from historybite-sized, clever tales that challenge what you thought you knew. At An Ounce, we uncover the little moments that quietly changed everything, surprising truths, and fascinating facts you wont hear elsewhere.Im Jim Fugateretired firefighter, lifelong learner, and an outside-the-box thinker who loves sharing historys hidden gems. These quick, engaging stories dont take themselves too seriously, wont steal your precious time, and might just make you feel a little bit smarter.I hope youll join a community of curious minds who enjoy a fresh take on historywhere conversation is always open and everyones invited. Language: en-us Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Forgotten Cat of the Space Race
Episode 6
Tuesday, 10 February, 2026
Everyone remembers the dog who died early in space exploration. Almost no one remembers the Paris alley cat who came home. This is the true story of Félicette — the forgotten cat of the Space Race.Everyone remembers Laika — the Soviet space dog who never came home.Almost no one remembers Félicette — a Paris alley cat who rode a rocket launch into space, survived the mission, and quietly disappeared into history.In 1963, at the height of the Cold War, a small, overlooked nation launched a different kind of spaceflight. No propaganda. No spectacle. Just disciplined space science and a stray cat chosen for her neurological precision.This is the forgotten story of the Space Race’s most unlikely passenger — and what history chose to remember instead.If this stayed with you, you probably know someone else who might appreciate it.________________________________________Chapters (Timestamps)00:00 - Spaceflight Testing01:28 - The Animals Who Went First02:04 - A Different Animal03:43 - A Necessary Ending04:12 - An Ounce________________________________________“The Accidentally Invented World”A companion episode about how progress often comes from unnoticed, uncelebrated moments — and why history remembers the wrong things. https://youtu.be/cx7qyVf5g3k________________________________________References (Plain-Text URLs + Context)French Space Agency (CNES) — Official history of early spaceflighthttps://cnes.frAstérix Satellite (1965) — France’s first orbital launchhttps://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1965-096AFélicette mission summary — Véronique AGI flighthttps://www.space.com/15488-french-cat-space-felicette.htmlCold War animal space programs (US & USSR)https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-014-DFRC.html
