Gill Parker
Félicette (2019, bronze)

In October 1963, a black-and-white stray from Paris named Félicette made history as the first and only cat to travel to space. Selected by French scientists for her calm demeanor, she soared 154 kilometers above Earth on a suborbital flight and returned safely.
Yet Félicette’s story is as tragic as it is groundbreaking. Just two months after her successful mission, she was euthanized so researchers could study the effects of space travel on her body. Her sacrifice yielded little scientific insight, and for decades, her name faded into obscurity.
That changed in 2019, when a statue was unveiled in her honor at the International Space University in Strasbourg, depicting her gazing toward the stars.

https://www.gillparker.com/