Miss Baker Couch

Miss Baker was a squirrel monkey who, along with Able, flew a suborbital flight in the reentry vehicle of Jupiter AM-18 on May 28, 1959 and returned safely, becoming the American animals to survive a round trip into space; many people will recognize her from a famous publicity photo.

Miss Baker subsequently lived at the USSRC (or, more properly, at the Alabama Space & Rocket Center, as it was known back then) until her death on November 29, 1984. Miss Baker is buried on the USSRC grounds.

The couch into which Miss Baker was strapped during her historic flight is on display in the Davidson Center. A photo of Miss Baker in strapped into her couch can be found here, and a photo of the biocapsule holding her couch and the couch of Able can be found here. The biocapsule, Able's couch, and Able's preserved remains are on display at the Smithsonian.