France fored its first animal carrying rocket . It was a Veronique rocket with a rat in the nose cone , Sahara Desert , Colomb Bechar . Hector , a male white rat , was strapped in a natty leather harness which encassed his body , had electrodes inserted in his brain . They transmitted to ground instruments the variations of electric currents in the rat's brain and muscles as he strove to equilibrate himself . Other instruments sent back information in the rat's heart and respiratory action during his flight . 22 February 1961