Fish

 Year: 1973, 1976, 2008

Country: the United States, the Soviet Union, Germany

The mummichog was the first fish in space. This hardy aquatic specimen is often used for research because of its ability to survive in extreme conditions. In 1973, a pair of mummichogs accompanied NASA's Skylab 3 mission to provide more information about the otolith organ.

On June 22, 1976, the Soviet Salyut 5 was launched into space, carrying two cosmonauts, tortoises and a zebra danio (zebra fish).

In 2008, Germany became the latest country to send fish astronauts into space. Seventy-two thumb-sized cichlids were launched in an unmanned rocket and were filmed as they swam around weightlessly in small aquariums during the 10-minute space flight.