On 3lst January 1961, during my first year studying the chimpanzees of Gombe in Tanzania, a young chimpanzee named Ham hurtled into space and back in a Mercury capsule, paving the way for US astronauts to make similar journeys. Today, 48 years later, I would like to thank the astronauts, Robert Crippen (
Robert L. Crippen) and
Scott Carpenter, for honoring these chimpanzees and recognizing the contribution made by Gromek, Dana and Gogi, as well as those who never found sanctuary. [at the Save the Chimps sanctuary in Florida on April 30, 2009]