 |
| GORDO "Goldcraft" launch cover with Goldcraft postmarked at Port Canaveral on December 13, 1958. |
A squirrel monkey named GORDO was launched in the nose cone of a Jupiter missile. Recovery attempts for the nose cone were unsuccessful due to a malfunction in the float mechanism. However, telemetry data revealed valuable biochemical information and showed that GORDO endured spaceflight and re-entry without any negative effects. He experienced 8.3 minutes of weightlessness, with 10g of pressure at liftoff and 40g of pressure during re-entry at speeds of 10,000 mph. GORDO is also known as LITTLE OLD RELIABLE.
