Unexpected Animal Outpaces Humans in Moon Travel Race
In 1968, the Soviet Union's Zond 5 spacecraft became the first to circle the Moon, carrying two steppe tortoises along with worms, flies, and seeds, beating NASA's Apollo 8 mission, which carried humans. The tortoises' successful journey marked a significant milestone in space exploration, demonstrating that even slow-moving creatures could achieve lunar orbit before humans did.