Ham (1957-83) also known as Ham the Chimp and Ham the Astrochimp, was a chimpanzee and the first great ape launched into space. On January 31, 1961, Ham flew a suborbital flight on the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission, part of the U.S. space program's Project Mercury.Ham's name is an acronym for the laboratory that prepared him for his historic mission-the Holloman Aerospace Medical Center, located at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, southwest of Alamogordo. His name was also in honor of the commander of Holloman Aeromedical Laboratory, Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton "Ham" BlacksheaOffered is an original AP wirephoto stamped January 31, 1961 and again on February 1, 1961. This 7" x 8" sent out by the Associated Press made the news throughout the world.
