# Have Any Dogs Completed Astronaut training and been on the ISS? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217 "2016-01-05T13:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217/21 "2016-01-05T19:07:50Z")
Just paper the walls with loop-cloth, and give the dogs Velcro shoes, and problem solved! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217/22 "2016-01-05T19:14:45Z")
Just convince raccoons that there are garbage cans on Mars and we’ll have the means to get there shortly. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217/23 "2016-01-05T19:40:08Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > … > In fact, the most adaptable creatures are probably those already well adapted to a quasi-freefall environment, e.g. those that live in the ocean. From that standpoint, the cephalopods are probably one of the most logical choices as a service animal in a space environment with their acclimation and grasping mobility, albeit with the attendant difficulties of training and controlling such a creature as well as providing the necessary aquatic conditions in both a pressurized habitat or in a pressure/environment garment. > > Stranger The gravitationally imposed size restrictions on any exoskeleton-based life are removed. Imagine how well funnel-web spiders grown to the size of cows would handle zero g. The future is more terrifying than you think. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217/24 "2016-01-05T19:48:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Stranger** : > > From that standpoint, the cephalopods are probably one of the most logical choices… I mis-read that as “cetaceans” at first. But then, I’ve been reading a lot of David Brin lately. Dolphins would simplify the suit problem, since they’re air-breathing, so you’d just need something to keep their skin comfortably damp. And they may or may not be smarter than octopodes, but they’re more trainable. But on the other flipper (which isn’t gripping), they don’t have many options in the manipulation department. They’re great hyperspace pilots, though. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217/25 "2016-01-05T21:56:03Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Checking [weighlessness on a cat](http://i.imgur.com/uz3wiUK.png). > > How the hell did it not scratch the pilots eyes out just by being stuck in a cockpit of a plane, with all the attendant noise. Still shots? Blah. [how about some video?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTkFIE_-kL8) And then [there’s a weightless dog…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN77b9DqEbc) ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217/26 "2016-01-05T22:31:55Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I mis-read that as “cetaceans” at first. But then, I’ve been reading a lot of David Brin lately. Dolphins would simplify the suit problem, since they’re air-breathing, so you’d just need something to keep their skin comfortably damp. And they may or may not be smarter than octopodes, but they’re more trainable. But on the other flipper (which isn’t gripping), they don’t have many options in the manipulation department. > > They’re great hyperspace pilots, though. Apparently, also great space fighter pilots. (Because they move natively in three dimensions and think correspondingly, unlike landlubber species. And water suspension gives them extra acceleration tolerance.) At least, that’s what “Heritage” from _Man-Kzin Wars XIV_ says. ---
**Author:** ![botsgotme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@botsgotme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/botsgotme)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2016, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217/27 "2016-01-05T23:14:53Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I fail to see the logic of this. Why? Please elaborate. Why? for security, companionship, and chase away possible Martian wolves.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217/28 "2016-01-06T19:59:41Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Still shots? Blah. [how about some video?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTkFIE_-kL8) This is what I came in here to post. One of the funniest videos. The guy shoving the white and black cat gets me every time. He’s like, “Here bro, have a cat.” and the cat is all, “Whaaaaaaaaa?” ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217/29 "2016-01-06T20:19:09Z")
How about gold fish? Couldn’t the just float around in bubbles without a tank? Could a goldfish even breath in a floating bubble? Or how about transporting larger fish as a food supply? Maybe catfish can float around and clean up after the dogs. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217/30 "2016-01-06T20:31:03Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > How about gold fish? Couldn’t the just float around in bubbles without a tank? Could a goldfish even breath in a floating bubble? I’m sure that in a weightless environment they could move water over their own gills without trouble. But I question whether they’re smart enough to avoid swimming out of a free-floating ball of water; without outside intervention this would likely be fatal, since they probably can’t “swim” (i.e. generate forward propulsive force) in air to get themselves back into their ball of water. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217/31 "2016-01-06T20:58:42Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I’m sure that in a weightless environment they could move water over their own gills without trouble. But I question whether they’re smart enough to avoid swimming out of a free-floating ball of water; without outside intervention this would likely be fatal, since they probably can’t “swim” (i.e. generate forward propulsive force) in air to get themselves back into their ball of water. Judging from my own experience with goldfish, they’re not smart enough to stay in water even in a normal 1g gravitation field. I stopped counting the number of goldfish I’ve had jump out of a perfectly acceptable (but open-topped) aquarium. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-dogs-completed-astronaut-training-and-been-on-the-iss/742217.md?page=1)