While cruising around on the Internet I discovered that tortoises have been launched into space several times!!!
On September 14, 1968, Russia launched Zond 5 which included a biological payload of wine flies, mealworms, bacteria, plants and TWO STEPPE TORTOISES!!! Back then it was feared that the radiation out in space would be fatal to earth-origin life forms, so animals got sent up before humans did. Zond 5 spent a week in space: it made a single big loop around the moon, then returned and splashed down in the Indian Ocean. The capsule was retrieved and all the animals were still alive. The tortoises had lost about 10% of their body weight, but were active and ate well after their return. Russia later sent tortoises up again, and as recently as February 2010 Iran sent a biological payload into Earth orbit which in included tortoises.
I wasn't able to find out the names of any of the cosmonaut tortoises or which species Iran used.
So the next time a non-believer says tortoise aren't cool,
I can ask that person "Have YOU orbited the moon like they have?"
On September 14, 1968, Russia launched Zond 5 which included a biological payload of wine flies, mealworms, bacteria, plants and TWO STEPPE TORTOISES!!! Back then it was feared that the radiation out in space would be fatal to earth-origin life forms, so animals got sent up before humans did. Zond 5 spent a week in space: it made a single big loop around the moon, then returned and splashed down in the Indian Ocean. The capsule was retrieved and all the animals were still alive. The tortoises had lost about 10% of their body weight, but were active and ate well after their return. Russia later sent tortoises up again, and as recently as February 2010 Iran sent a biological payload into Earth orbit which in included tortoises.
I wasn't able to find out the names of any of the cosmonaut tortoises or which species Iran used.
So the next time a non-believer says tortoise aren't cool,
I can ask that person "Have YOU orbited the moon like they have?" 
