Ham's 16 minutes of fame Ham's 16 minutes of fame Updated: Updated: January 29, 2021 16:27 IST On January 31, 1961, a chimpanzee named Ham became the first hominid in space. During his brief spaceflight, which lasted a little over 16 minutes, Ham experienced weightlessness for around six-and-a-half minutes and proved that human beings could work and live in space. A.S.Ganesh revisits Ham’s claim to fame... Share Article AAA Ham, still wearing his flying gear, reaches out to accept his reward, a big red apple, after his historic space flight inside the Mercury capsule. | Photo Credit: UNKNOWN On January 31, 1961, a chimpanzee named Ham became the first hominid in space. During his brief spaceflight, which lasted a little over 16 minutes, Ham experienced weightlessness for around six-and-a-half minutes and proved that human beings could work and live in space. A.S.Ganesh revisits Ham’s claim to fame...