The incredible image that shows Ham, the first chimp in space, during his historic 17 minute flight

He is the pioneer history often forgets.
But Ham was one of the first heroes of the space race – boldly going where no chimp had ever gone before.
This rare image, revealed for the first time, was taken of Ham in his capsule during his 17-minute voyage into space.

Ham, the first chimp to go into space - paving the way for humans to do the same. this rare pictures of him in his capsule is set to go on sale next week

He was the first chimp to make the mission – paving the way later for humans to do the same.
Ham was only three years old at the time, and made the journey wearing nothing but a nappy and a pressurised suit.

 

Scientists kept track of his progress using an automatic camera which took photographs of his face at regular intervals.
Experts at Bloomsbury Auctions, who are selling off the £100 image on December 12, said his serene expression demonstrated Ham's bravery during his mission.
Sarah Wheeler, head of photographs, said: ‘He was the first chimp in space. He must have been pretty bewildered but I think he also looks very proud in the photo we have.
‘What’s nice is that Ham survived the trip – unlike some of his contemporaries.
'He lived for many more years and was the star attraction of every zoo he lived in.
‘This photo is a piece of history – and a very important part of history.’

Ham as he arrived back on the recovery ship after his historic mission to make him the first chimp in space

 
Ham was originally from Cameroon in Africa and had been a popular attraction at a zoo in Florida before he was recruited by the United States Air Force.
His name was taken from the initials of the Holloman Aerospace Medical Center in New Mexico, where he was housed.
Ham was one of the first animals to survive being launched into space – a Russian predessessor, a dog named Laika, had not been quite so lucky when she orbited the earth in 1957.
On January 31, 1961, Ham was launched on Mission MR-2 — but almost immediately there was a hitch and levels began to drop.
For six minutes of the flight, Ham was weightless before the capsule splashed down in the Atlantic.
But when rescuers reached it, they found him alive and gratefully accepted an apple and half an orange.

William Anders Earthrise, taken from Apollo 8 on 24th December 1968, which is expected to make £3,000-5,000

He later went to live at the National Zoo in Washington for 17 years and died at North Carolina Zoo at the age of 25.
The photo of Ham is just one of the lots at Bloomsbury's Astronomy Books and Space Photographs sale, which includes artefacts throughout space history.
Also on sale is a £60,000 compendium of illustrated manuscript astronomical texts compiled in Italy, probably in Verona or Bologna around 1470.
There are also works by Galileo and photographs taken by Neil Armstrong of Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon.