6 animals sent to space in the past and why

The first time an animal ever went into space was a fruit fly, sent aboard the U.S. on a V-2 rocket in 1947. A V-2 ballistic missile captured by the Allies after World War II, was loaded with fruit flies and sent into space. The American scientists wanted to know the impact cosmic radiation could have in the future and thus chose flies, which are genetic relatives of man. And, to the surprise of all, the flies emerged alive from the flight, helping researchers to find out how a more complex organism, such as the human species, might be impacted by radiation.