On September 16, 1949, the United States launched a V-2 rocket carrying a monkey named Albert III. This mission was part of a series of early experiments designed to understand how space travel affects living organisms. These tests, conducted by what would later become NASA, began in the 1940s and predated human spaceflight by more than a decade. Albert III was the third monkey launched in this series, and unfortunately, he was also the third to die during the attempt. Unlike the previous two Alberts, who died from suffocation and a failed parachute, Albert III's rocket exploded just 10 seconds after liftoff. The U.S. Air Force's Project Blossom, based at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, included five biological flights using V-2 rockets. These tests were managed by the Aero-Medical Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Albert III's launch failed 24.7 seconds after liftoff when the rocket's speed was slower than expected. An explosion occurred in the rocket's tail section 10.7 seconds into the flight, followed by another explosion 14 seconds later, likely due to fuel leaks in the alcohol system. The rocket reached only 3 miles in altitude before crashing. Despite the failure, scientists used the data collected from Albert III's flight to improve future designs. However, not all tests were successful—Albert IV's launch also failed, and three of the seven Project Blossom launches ended in failure. The first successful monkey launch occurred in 1951 with Albert VI, who traveled to suborbital space and returned safely on a new Aerobee rocket. Albert VI was accompanied by 11 mice, and this mission marked a significant step forward in space research. These early experiments laid the groundwork for future human space exploration, even though they involved significant risks and losses.