The Space Shuttle was originally intended to be able to support polar orbits, by launching from Vandenberg AFB, in California. Although a launch complex was built, it was never used for a Shuttle launch. This leads to my question - have any living organisms (human/animal) intentionally been launched into a polar orbit? This could be from any country, not just the USA. I'm purposely wording this question this way to exclude unintentional hitchhiking bacteria, etc. that might be inadvertently be on or in the spacecraft at launch time.
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1$\begingroup$ One of the very first polar launch attempts carried a live payload - Discoverer 3, in June 1959. It failed to reach orbit, but they were certainly intentionally launched... $\endgroup$– Andrew is goneCommented May 21, 2021 at 21:33
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Yes. The highest inclination orbit with animals I could find are Bion 6, Bion 7 and Bion 9. They orbited at an 82 degree inclination and carried monkeys, rats and newts into space.
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$\begingroup$ I've just asked Why were Bion 6, Bion 7 and Bion 9 launched at the times they were? Was it related to thermal management for their living cargo? $\endgroup$– uhohCommented May 22, 2021 at 1:27