Monkey Mission

Three of the hairiest astronauts you’ll ever meet explore the universe in Space Chimps

Did you know that the first American astronaut to go into space was actually a chimp? It’s true. His name was HAM and he was a four-year-old monkey.

Before HAM other animals had been launched into orbit, like Gordo the squirrel and Laika, a Russian dog, but HAM was the first animal who actually operated equipment in zero gravity. He’d been trained to push levers in response to flashing lights, and did so to perfection during his 16-minute flight. 

Why did the folks at NASA shoot a monkey into space? Well, because they wanted to make sure it was safe before sending a human, of course. 

(HAM didn’t get a say in the matter.) 

In the new animated feature Space Chimps, HAM’s grandson, HAM III, is recruited by the space program after an ambitious senator decides to search for alien life in another universe. 

HAM III is joined on his mission by fellow chimps TITAN and LUNA, all three of whom are launched through an inter-universal wormhole to a planet far, far, far, far, far, far away. 

Unfortunately, when the chimps arrive at that planet they find it’s run by an evil king — so not only do they have to save their own monkey butts, they also have to help free the inhabitants of this extremely foreign planet. 

That’s a big job for a trio of chimps. But these are no ordinary chimps, they’re Space Chimps!

Opens July 18