 The rocket would travel over 1,500 miles and reach a height of 310 miles (500 km) before returning to Earth and landing in the South Atlantic.A technical malfunction prevented the capsule's parachute from opening and, despite a short search, neither his body nor the vessel were ever recovered.Gordo was a South American species of squirrel monkey, about one foot tall and weighing between 1 and 1.5 kg.