Monkey In Capsule Lost At Sea

Press, Volume C, Issue 29702, 21 December 1961, Page 15

Monkey In Capsule Lost At Sea

INZ Press Assoctatlon—Copvrtgnt) CAPE CANAVERAL, December 20. An Atlas rocket successfully hurled a small monkev named “Scatback” more than 5000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, but early today search ships had not found the animal's capsule.

Hie capsule was reported to have separated from the racket and to have landed in the target are*. Scatback. a four-pound American - born Rhesus monkey, rode more than 600 miles into apace inside a special capsule strapped to the side of the silvery missile. The 85-foot rocket, an advanced model capable of hurling a hydrogen warhead more than one-third ot the way around the globe, left its launching pad at 10.32 pzn. The monkey v,-as heavily instrumented and carried a small radio transmitter under the skin near its stomach to relay information about

the stresses of blast-off and weightlessness in apace. After three and a half hours two search planes and a ship had not located ths six-foot cylinder. Rough seas, with waves 7ft to 9ft high, hampered effort* and recovery chances were slim, the Associated Press said. Hie planes ran low on fuel and had to abandon the search early today. The cylinder was equipped with a radio beacon which was to help searchers find It but no signals were picked up. There was no indication whether the anima! was alive when the capsule hit the sea or whether the package stayed afloat.