Miss Baker's Ride

A true story.

After a decade of launching monkeys into space, NASA had yet to return any alive and had fallen behind the Soviet Union in the race for space travel. On their next mission, was a rhesus monkey named Able, chosen by President Eisenhower and a squirrel monkey they named Miss Baker, who was purchased at a Miami pet shop.

On May 28, 1959, Jupiter AM-18 blasted off - the flight lasted 16 minutes before plunging back into the ocean south east of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The recovery team spotted it bobbing in the water. They were alive! Becoming the first primates ever to return home safely from outside the earth's atmosphere. Miss Baker & Able opened a gateway for mankind's future space exploration and we owe them our gratitude.