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Author
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Topic: Astronauts and their pet dogs and cats
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Wings4Flight
Member Posts: 89
From: Auburn, AL, USA
Registered: Dec 2007
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posted 01-28-2008 09:53 PM
   
I was flipping through a magazine the other day and one of the featured articles was about celebrities and their pets. This got me to thinking about what kinds of pets an astronaut would have. If you have any info on this topic I would love to hear some stories. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-28-2008 10:00 PM
From cS's June 16, 2007 article Astronauts pack for home, plan for future about the return of STS-117 with Sunita Williams: "And of course, a picture of my dog might have to stay here on the space station. I might have to hide it for some future crew to find," said Williams with a smile. Her dog, a "crazy" Jack Russell Terrier named Gorby, wasn't able to make the trip to the ISS with her and so a photo cut-out of the dog, dubbed "Flat Gorby" made numerous cameo appearances on the station throughout her stay. |
413 is in
Member Posts: 628
From: Alexandria, VA USA
Registered: May 2006
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posted 01-29-2008 03:27 AM
69-H-1020 July 7, 1969
Lunar Module Pilot of the Apollo 11 mission, Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., and his family; wife, Joan, and children, J. Michael, Janice R., and Andrew J. 108-KSC-69PC-624 November 13, 1969
Apollo 12 Command Module Pilot Richard F. Gordon relaxes with his wife, Barbara, and children at their home near the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas. The Gordon children are, standing left to right, Carleen, 15; Richard, 14; and Thomas, 10. Kneeling, left to right, Lawrence, 11; Diane, 8; and James, 9. (The dog is named Sophia.)  |
sts205cdr
Member Posts: 649
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted 01-29-2008 12:41 PM
On the other hand, an astronaut may not want a pet. Susan Helms found a new permanent home for her foster cat "Mango" before she started her Expedition 2 mission. |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 01-29-2008 01:09 PM
Here are three more examples. I don't know if it's correct to say these were necessarily pets of the astronauts. They appear to be family pets instead.    |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 01-29-2008 01:32 PM
Check out page 80 of Alan Bean's book "Apollo" for another photo, and Al's accompanying caption about the pets shown. |
DKS22
Member Posts: 19
From: Norman, OK, USA
Registered: Feb 2008
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posted 02-21-2008 12:28 AM
Yes, the pictures are of family pets but these men were part of families. The dog in the Young family photo was named Guinevere. The Slaytons had Golden Retrievers, the Cernans had Cocker Spaniels, the Grissons had Basset Hounds. The Staffords got a puppy during the year Tom Stafford flew on Gemeni 6 and 9 and the puppy would bark at him when we would come home on weekends until the dog got to know him. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 02-21-2008 01:57 AM
C.C. and Beth Williams had a thoroughbred English bulldog puppy they jokingly named Lord Percy Plushbottom. |
golddog
Member Posts: 210
From: australia
Registered: Feb 2008
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posted 02-21-2008 11:39 PM
In his book "Carrying the Fire" Mike Collins mentioned his family pet as being a german shepherd he called "Dubhe' after a star. I have a copy of an old magazine called "The Astronauts and Their Families" which I think came out in 1965. It shows Mr. Collins and the dog, but says the dog's name is "Smoke". I have often wondered if the editors of the magazine changed the name because no one would understand what Dubhe meant. The magazine shows many of the family pets of the astronauts. For instance Frank Borman's family had an old english sheep dog (or at least it looks like it) and the Grissoms had a basset hound. The Aldrins appear to have had a number of dogs and a monkey. The Chaffees had what looks likes pomeranian or similar, whilst Gordon Cooper's family also had a german shepherd. The Schirras had a german shepherd (or what looks like one) and a cat. There is also a picture of Lord Percy Plushbottom with CC Williams and his wife, as described above. |
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