Astronaut dogs. Honest story. The first animals in space. Belka and Strelka - astronaut dogs

In the autumn of 1957, the USSR accomplished another feat. For the first time in history, a mammal was launched into space orbit. However, the triumph did not work out - the world sadly met a new breakthrough into space.

Favorite

Laika was chosen as the first animal astronaut just 12 days before launch. At first the choice was between rats, mice, monkeys and dogs. Then the experts still settled on the best friends of man. According to legend, the leadership of the USSR believed that dogs were loved more than other mammals, so a hero dog would glorify the Soviet Union faster than a rat or a monkey.

They decided to take the dog from the shelter - experts believed that thoroughbred dogs were too fastidious and would not be able to withstand long in orbit. In addition, the mongrel must certainly be of a light color in order to look good in the photo. Laika was chosen by the method of elimination: one of the applicants was simply pitied (she carried puppies), the second was decided to be kept for pragmatic reasons, since she was regularly used in research on technological equipment. There was no one to feel sorry for Laika - she was supposed to become a “suicide passenger”.

The last victim of the October Revolution

The launch of Sputnik 2 was a somewhat spontaneous decision. After the triumphant flight of the first artificial Earth satellite on October 4, 1957, the Soviet authorities wanted to quickly consolidate their success and surprise the world with a new achievement. The 40th anniversary of the October Revolution was approaching - an excellent occasion. Almost two weeks before the new "cosmic issue" from Nikita Khrushchev, they decide that now the "space animal" will "surprise" the international community. By the way, Sputnik-2 was created on the knee: there were not even any preliminary sketches. Designers designed a new spacecraft right in the shops, one might say, composing it right on the go. Of course, no one thought about the dog, which was to accomplish a feat. Everyone understood that she was doomed - the satellite was not supposed to return to Earth. The only question was how long Laika would live in space orbit.

last flight

Laika turned out to be a very docile dog. Immediately after the launch of the satellite, telemetry reported that the launch overloads pressed the dog to the container tray, while the dog behaved calmly. Since the project was prepared on the knee, no reliable life support system was created on the satellite. The designers expected that Laika would die with the end of the supply of electricity on the spacecraft - in six days. However, the dog died just a few hours later - from overheating.

"The shaggyest, loneliest, most miserable dog in the world"

So the American correspondent of The New York Times wrote about the "doomed to death" Laika the day after the flight. Similar articles sympathizing with the dog appeared all over the world. In many countries, there were protests by animal rights activists: Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev was called a communist barbarian and flayer. Of course, one could talk about the "order" of the imperialists, about the envy of capitalism to socialism, but politics had nothing to do with it. The world, which the first satellite met with hope and joy, now, for the first time in history, was almost on the air in anticipation of the death of a living being. No one wanted such technological progress.

"She fell asleep"

In the meantime, the first warm-blooded cosmonaut was commemorated in the West, in the Soviet press, a few days after the actual death of the dog, they talked about her well-being. On the eighth day, they reported that communication with the satellite was lost, and even later - about the "planned euthanasia" of the animal. And here the Soviet people have already begun to wake up. The fact is that no one warned the public that the dog was doomed and would never return to Earth. The USSR media modestly kept silent about the details of the “return” from the very beginning, so the citizens sincerely waited for the heroic mongrel, thinking out ways to “land” her.

"Khrushchev into space!"

Another feat of the Soviet cosmonautics turned out to be blurred because of public opinion. Moreover, it was not only the defenders of animals in the West who spoiled it. In the USSR, for many, the feeling of patriotism also failed - "everyone felt sorry for the dog." The news of the death of a pretty mongrel with pain echoed in the hearts of many Soviet citizens. Of course, the children were the most upset. By special order, many schools conducted “explanatory work”: teachers told sentimental schoolchildren about how important space flights are for the USSR, that a dumb creature like a dog is not the most serious victim in the exploration of the Universe, and in general - an unknown mongrel now became famous to the whole world. However, the wave of discontent did not subside for a long time. There was a joke among the people that Khrushchev should fly next into space. It is curious that hundreds of letters came to the Kremlin with a proposal to award Laika posthumously with the Order of the Hero of the Soviet Union and confer a military rank. They say that the authorities even discussed these popular initiatives.

"I do not like? Then smoke!"

People in the USSR did not yet know how to work with public opinion in the "domestic market" - they were used to bringing people's feelings with the help of another "therapy". But there was a “thaw” in the yard, so it was necessary to look for more sincere ways. They decided to “relax” the country with the help of a new variety of Laika cigarettes (later cigarettes), which, apparently, according to the idea of ​​the then “PR people”, were supposed to turn all civil sympathy for the unfortunate dog into smoke. According to the tales of the time, Khrushchev initially planned to make "Laika" a kind of umbrella brand: under the nickname of an animal-cosmonaut, it was planned to launch sweets, ice cream and even processed cheese. But someone with a sober mind in Khrushchev's team warned that there might be too much, so they decided to stop only at cigarettes. True, a somewhat ominous and cynical logical chain came out - "The dog burned down, and cigarettes also burn."

On the twelfth of April the whole world celebrates Cosmonautics Day. It was then, back in 1961, that the Soviet pilot-cosmonaut Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin made the first spacewalk.

In order for a person to be able to visit space without fear for his health and without endangering his life, years of scientific research and many practical experiments were needed.

It's no secret that long before people saw the Earth through the porthole of a spaceship, animals had already been in space. Putting furry astronauts on which they will be delivered outside the earth's atmosphere, a person carefully watched how the first animals in space behave and how they feel. Special equipment made it possible to monitor even minor changes in the functioning of their body systems. These data made it possible to improve the technology of the operation of aircraft, so that in the future it would be possible to launch a person into space without risk to his health.

The most common myth

What animals were the first to be sent into space? To many, this question will seem elementary. Most often, in response, we heard that the first animals to see space were a couple of outbred dogs with the names Belka and Strelka. And, to the surprise of many, we are forced to report that this answer is wrong.

But who was the first anyway?

At the initial stages of research, American scientists sent primates into space. These animals were chosen because of their physiological proximity to humans.

The first such was carried out by NASA specialists on June 11, 1948. Unfortunately, during this experiment, the monkey did not survive. Several next launches of living creatures were with the same outcome. But during these flights, they still managed to collect information that made it possible to improve technology, and the animals that flew into space began to safely return to Earth alive and healthy. In the 60s, they also began to carry out flights with access to orbit.

In total, 32 primates were launched into space as part of the scientific programs conducted by the United States between 1948 and 1969.

Space travel dogs

At the same time, in parallel with America, the Soviet Union was conducting its own space exploration. For them, dogs were used more often. Do you know what was the first animal to fly into space from a Russian cosmodrome?

Dezik and Gypsy - these two yard dogs went on a ballistic missile into the upper atmosphere on July 22, 1951. Having reached the conditional border with space, which is located at an altitude of 100 km, they safely descended to earth in a special capsule. The flight lasted 20 minutes, and after it both dogs felt great. Exactly one week later, another flight was made, which ended less successfully. Dezik, who was re-sent into space, and another passenger of the rocket, a dog named Fox, crashed on landing, as the parachute, which was supposed to ensure a smooth landing of the capsule, did not open.

The first victims of space experts caused the anxiety of the leaders of this experiment. But the research didn't stop. In total, between 1959 and 1960, 29 suborbital flights were carried out, in which dogs, rabbits, white rats and mice became participants. Some of the first animals in space were under anesthesia during their journey in order to study the physiological state of the body.

Flying animals into orbit

The first flight into orbit, on board of which there were living beings, was made on November 3, 1957. And if before that the animals were sent in pairs, now a single dog named Laika has become a passenger of the Soviet ship Sputnik-2. Although technically the return of the dog was not possible, but she died during the flight, after 5 hours, having made 4 complete revolutions around the Earth. The cause of her death was severe stress and overheating of the body. It was Laika who was the first animal to fly into space into orbit and, unfortunately, did not return.

The next time a satellite with live passengers on board was sent into orbit only three years later. It happened on July 28, 1960. The flight was also unsuccessful, the spacecraft exploded 38 seconds after the engines were started. In this experiment Chanterelle and Seagull.

And on August 19, 1960, the Sputnik-5 spacecraft went into orbit, made 17 orbits around the Earth and landed successfully. All this time, the well-known Belka and Strelka were on board. After several more similar successful flights were made in March 1961, it was decided to send the first man into space.

Selection of animals for experiments in space

The first animals in space turned out to be for a reason, they were carefully selected and underwent special training before the flight. It is interesting that, when selecting dogs for participation in flights, they gave preference to yard, outbred individuals, since they are physically more resilient.

Orbital flights required healthy dogs weighing no more than six kilograms and up to 35 cm tall, between the ages of two and six years. It was most convenient to place sensors that read information on short-haired animals.

Before the flight, the dogs were taught to be in closed chambers imitating the cockpit of a spacecraft, not to be frightened by loud sounds and vibrations, and to eat using a special apparatus that feeds food in zero gravity.

Interesting facts about the first flight of Belka and Strelka into orbit

They say that he opened the way to the stars for people.

Few people know that in fact these cute dogs were called Albina and Marquise, but before the start of the experiment, an instruction came to replace foreign nicknames with Soviet ones, and now the first animals in space that have been in orbit and safely returned to Earth are known to us under the names Strelka and Belka.

Dogs were chosen from a large number of applicants, but, in addition to the main physical parameters, coat color was important. Light-colored animals had an advantage, which made it easier to observe them through monitors. An important factor was the attractiveness of the dogs, since if the experiment was successful, they would certainly be presented to the general public.

Although the estimated duration of the flight of Belka and Strelka was one day, during training and testing, the animals were in conditions close to flight for up to eight days.

During the flight, the life support system worked on board, and with the help of a special apparatus, food and water were supplied to the dogs in weightless conditions. In general, the animals felt good, and only during the launch of the rocket they were observed. This indicator returned to normal when the spacecraft reached orbit.

After the success of the animals, it became clear that a person can also go beyond the earth's atmosphere and return alive and unharmed.

Other animals that have been in space

In addition to primates and dogs, other animals, such as cats, turtles, frogs, snails, rabbits, mice, cockroaches, newts, and even some types of fish, have been outside the earth's atmosphere. Many will be interested to know that on March 22, 1990, a quail egg hatched on the Mir spacecraft. This is the first fact of the birth of a living being in space.

Can animals reproduce in space?

But the fact that a chick can develop and hatch in a previously fertilized egg in space conditions does not mean that animals and plants in space can reproduce. NASA scientists have proven that cosmic radiation adversely affects the reproductive function of living beings. Sex cells due to the numerous streams of protons in outer space cease to perform their function. This makes conception impossible. Also, during the experiments, it was not possible to save already conceived embryos in space conditions. They immediately stopped growing and died.

Before humans went into space themselves, due to prevailing theories about the dangers of space flight and the fear of not surviving prolonged exposure to weightlessness, animals were the first to go into space. For several years, there has been a serious discussion among scientists about the effects of prolonged weightlessness. American and Russian scientists used animals - mostly monkeys, chimpanzees and dogs - to test the ability of living organisms in space and test return alive and unharmed.

In the US, Aerobee projects took place in the early 1950s. Basing their experiments on American biomedical research, Soviet scientists sent a rocket with a team of mice for initial testing. But, later it was necessary to collect data to develop a cabin so that people could be sent into space. In the end, small dogs were chosen for this kind of experiment. As the scientists decided, the test with dogs will provide more accurate results. On the streets near the research center of the space program, the institute of aviation medicine in Moscow, mongrels were selected. Stray dogs were considered more hardy than purebred dogs as they could take care of themselves on city streets. They were selected according to weight and size: no more than 6 kilograms and no more than 35 centimeters.

Between 1951 and 1952, Soviet R-1 rockets launched nine dogs into space, three of which flew twice. Each flight was carried out by a pair of dogs in hermetically sealed containers, returning by parachute. Of these early space tests, only a few dogs were remembered by name.
(In the photo Dezik and Gypsy)

On August 15, 1951 Dezik and Gypsy were launched. These two were the first suborbital astronauts. They were successfully returned back. In early September 1951, Desic was sent back into space, only with another dog named Lisa. This second flight was unsuccessful. The dogs died, but the data logger survived. The scientist who was involved in this project (Korolev) was devastated by the loss of the dogs.

Shortly thereafter, Bold and Baby were launched. Bold ran away the day before the start. The crew was concerned that the wolves that lived nearby might have eaten her. She returned a day later and the test flight was successfully resumed. The launch of the fourth test was a failure, and again ended in the death of the dogs. However, in the same month, the fifth test run of the two dogs was successful. On September 15, 1951, the sixth launch of two dogs took place. One of the dogs, Bobik, then ran away, a replacement was found near the local canteen. Then the dog from the dining room was called "ZIB" - Replacement of the Disappeared Bobik. Still, the flight and return were successful.

There were also other dogs associated with that series of flights, including Kozyavka, Damka, Albina and others. Kozyavka, Linda and Malyshka became the first dogs whose names were declassified and presented to the public in June 1957. They visited the uppermost layers of the atmosphere at an altitude of 110 kilometers above the Earth.
(In the photo Kozyavka, Damka and Albina)

The next step for the Soviet space program was the first orbital flight with a living being: Laika.
(Pictured Laika)

Laika was a small, homeless mongrel picked up from the street. Laika was chosen because during her pre-flight training, she demonstrated exceptional endurance and tolerance. These were remarkable characteristics for a martyr in the name of humanity. In addition, she was a bright dog, light with dark brown spots on her muzzle that created a surprised expression. Her image was well reproduced in black and white photographs and film frames. This was an important factor as the launch was historically significant and carefully recorded. On November 3, 1957, Sputnik 2 exploded in orbit around the Earth with Laika on board. She was hastily trained and placed aboard in a metal carrier. There was no time to work out any strategy to re-enter the atmosphere, Laika flew in space for several hours until Sputnik 2 burned up in the outer atmosphere.

Why was Laika sent into space without knowing how to save her? The ideology of the space race meant that there was no time left to develop a recovery system before sending Laika into space. Khrushchev told scientists that another satellite should be launched in honor of the rapidly approaching fortieth anniversary of the October Revolution, on November 7, 1957. Sputnik 2 was prepared in a terrible hurry. Laika's flight evoked unprecedented love and compassion both in the USSR and in the rest of the world. People felt genuine sympathy for Laika. She was perceived as an innocent victim caught in the brutal millstone of the Cold War.
(In the photo Lichichka and Chaika)

On July 28, 1960, in the Soviet Union Chaika and Chanterelle were launched on the first artificial Earth satellite. The ship is a prototype of the Vostok manned spacecraft. The booster exploded at launch, killing two dogs. They were the best and favorite dogs in the institute. Junior researcher Lyudmila Radkevich later recalled how bright and wonderful they were, especially Chanterelle. Later, it was believed that sending red dogs into space was a bad omen.
(In the photo Belka and Strelka)

On August 19, 1960, Belka and Strelka were launched on Sputnik 5 along with twelve mice, insects, plants, fungi cultures, various microbes, wheat germ, peas, onions and corn. In addition, there were twenty-eight laboratory mice and two white rats in the cockpit. The flight was successful, Strelka later gave birth to a litter of six puppies.
(In the photo Bee and Fly)

Bee and Fly were launched aboard the Earth 6 satellite on December 1, 1960, along with mice, insects and plants. At the end of the flight, the descent trajectory turned out to be very steep, and the ship burned up along with the animals on entry into the atmosphere.

Tragedies happened not only in space, but also on Earth. So, during training in the isolation chamber, the youngest cosmonaut candidate, Valentin Bondarev, died.

On December 22, 1960, Soviet scientists again tried to explore space by sending the dogs Damka and Krasavka into space, however, the upper stage of the rocket showed a malfunction and the launch was aborted. The rocket exploded at the start, the dogs on board, Damka and Krasavka, died.
(In the photo Chernushka)

On March 9, 1961, another dog named Chernushka was launched into space. The spacecraft of Sputnik Chernushka was accompanied into space by an astronaut dummy, mice and guinea pigs. The flight went well.
(pictured Asterisk)

The flight of another dog named Asterisk on March 25, 1961 was also successfully followed. In this way, the structures and systems of space vehicles were successfully tested.
(Félicette cat in the photo)

On October 18, 1963, French scientists launched the first cat into space. The cat, named Félicette, was successfully brought back by parachute, and the second cat flight on October 24 ran into difficulties and ended in failure.

Scientists used the animal kingdom for testing. Despite the losses, these animals have taught scientists a lot of experience and knowledge, without the contribution and sacrifice of animals, we would not have learned anything. Without animal testing in the early days of space programs, the Soviet and American programs could have suffered a heavy loss of human life. Animals gave their lives for the development of human spaceflight, so let's not forget their contribution to our history!

Laika(1954 - November 3, 1957) - Soviet cosmonaut dog, the first animal put into Earth's orbit. It was launched into space on November 3, 1957 at half past six in the morning Moscow time on the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik-2. At that time, Laika was about two years old and weighed about 6 kilograms.
The return of Laika to Earth was not planned. Like many other animals in space, the dog died during the flight - 5-7 hours after launch, she died from stress and overheating, although it was expected that she would live for about a week.

Story

"Full of sympathy and grief for little Laika, at the same time we cannot ignore the great significance of her sacrifice for scientific research."
(Moscow radio, November 5, 1957)

On November 3, 1957, the little dog Laika, aboard the Soviet Sputnik-2, became the first living creature to experience all the delights of weightlessness in its own skin. Strictly speaking, Laika was not the first dog to soar over the Earth in a rocket. Shortly after World War II, both Soviet and American explorers began sending dogs, monkeys, mice, and hamsters to altitudes of several hundred kilometers. According to some reports, Laika, chosen for the flight on Sputnik-2, also rose into the stratosphere earlier.

Since a return to Earth was not planned, the capsule was not equipped with either a parachute or heat protection during re-entry. Just in case, the messenger of the Earth was put on a thin chain, and she was wearing a special space suit for dogs, stuffed with all kinds of electrodes. However, according to other sources of information, the electrodes were implanted under her skin. Immediately after the start, Laika's heart rate and respiration rate tripled.

Defenders' protests

At the height of the Cold War, the announcement of the Soviet media about the launch of the second artificial Earth satellite was perceived in the United States as another strong blow to the country's national prestige. It was especially offensive for the state because Sputnik-2, which weighed 503.8 kg, i.e. 6 times more than Sputnik-1, once again demonstrated to the whole world the advantages of Soviet technology. Its terrifying dimensions inspired gloomy thoughts: with the same success, the Soviets could put into orbit not a small dog, but a powerful spy camera or - God forbid! - a hydrogen bomb. Thus, thanks to the flight of Laika, the supporters of the arms race received a new argument in favor of building up military power.

However, the ordinary Western man was much more than the gloomy prospects for the future of all mankind, worried about the fate of the astronaut dog itself. The most active were the defenders of animals in England. The 10-minute BBC radio broadcast with a detailed story about the new Russian satellite with a dog had not yet ended, when hundreds of indignant listeners literally blocked the telephone line of the program editors with their calls. The very next day, representatives of the British Dog Protection Association appeared near the Soviet embassy in London and, following all the necessary formalities, handed over a letter of protest. In addition, dog intercessors called every day at the appointed hour to honor the memory of the space dog with a minute of silence. However, this initiative did not receive a wide response. British newspapers published daily detailed reports on the dog's health. Helpless, firmly fixed in the capsule, Laika became the number one topic in the entire civilized world. So, according to polls of the Institute of Public Opinion in Germany, 21 percent of men and 46 percent of women regarded what is happening as a case of animal cruelty.

At the same time, newspapers in other countries, sensing which way the wind was blowing, used the touching story of the dog only to belittle the success of the Soviet cosmonautics.

No name

Immediately the question arose of the name of the companion's passenger; without it, collective sympathy for the dog remained, as it were, abstracted from the real sufferer. Immediately after the start, a message came from the Union about Kudryavka, which in a free translation of the German "Bild-Zeitung" sounded like "Locky". In the next message from Moscow, the dog was called Lady, later the nicknames Linda and Limonchik surfaced. In the end, TASS was authorized to officially announce that her name was Laika. That's where they stopped. But, as a representative of the Soviet embassy in Germany explained, in the north of Russia, almost every dog ​​is called Laika (that's why she is a husky to bark).

Part of the confusion has also arisen because huskies are a breed group whose dogs are distinguished, among other things, by erect ears. But Laika the astronaut, as can be seen in the well-known photograph, does not have the same ears at all.

Soviet scientists painfully perceived this sudden manifestation of love for animals, which could outshine the radiance of the artificial moon they had created. The "father of the Soviet satellite," Professor Leonid Ivanovich Sedov, acted as if it were originally supposed to land a capsule somewhere among the vast expanses of the steppes of Russia and return Laika from space alive and healthy. Eternal lies!

"Default"

Meanwhile, Moscow radio reported that there was no way to return the experimental animal to the ground.

Meanwhile, Laika continued to surf space in a capsule that rotated around the Earth and around its own axis. She ate her jelly-like food, drank the water supplied to her through a remote-controlled dispenser, and filled a special rubber reservoir attached to her pelvis with stool. But, perhaps, in fact, everything was different ... During the Cold War, reports relating to such a highly secret area as cosmonautics in the USSR were extremely stingy, they could not be double-checked. In addition, Laika's heart rate sensor sent out radio messages using a code known only to a few on Earth...

On November 10, a message came from Moscow about the death of Laika. In the following days, the press indicated several possible causes of her death:

• Laika was poisoned during her last feeding;
• put to sleep by injection from an automatic syringe;
• the supply of oxygen ran out, and Laika suffocated;
• the life support system stopped functioning, and the dog died from overheating.

Laika stayed in orbit for 162 days, most of the time already lifeless. At the beginning of January 1958, the satellite descended so much that it could be observed from Earth even with the naked eye. Having made a total of 2370 revolutions, the capsule, along with a lifeless passenger, burned up in the earth's atmosphere on April 14, while over Brazil, the Antilles and the Atlantic Ocean. The last remnants of it disappeared over the Caribbean Sea. The plume of fire was blindingly bright, and the capsule disintegrated into pieces accompanied by an explosion, causing panic among the audience of an open-air cinema on the island of Barbados.

Laika's name was entered on the Board of Honor, where the names of the famous ambulance and liaison dogs were engraved, which saved many human lives during the Great Patriotic War. The inscription reads: "To the first living being to reach outer space."

In 1958, a granite column was erected in front of the Parisian Society for the Protection of Dogs in honor of all the animals who gave their lives in the name of science. Its top is crowned with a satellite looking up, from which a stone Laika looks out. At the same time, in Japan, the image of Laika was used as a symbol of the year of the dog according to the eastern calendar. Mass production of porcelain Laikas was established. In the same 1958, the Danish sculptor Robert Jacobsen, who lived in Paris, exhibited his "Laika" - a creation of iron rods and swinging metal strips - in the Basler Gallery. Already in the 90s, two musical groups were named after the first astronaut dog: the Finnish vocal and instrumental ensemble "Laika" and the astronauts, founded in 1990, and the London "Laika" created in 1993.

Mankind used living beings to conquer space. How many of them died - dogs, monkeys, mice? We will never know. We only know the names of the returned dogs - Belka and Strelka. We no longer remember the names of the cosmonauts and astronauts who laid down their lives in cold space for the benefit of science. The question remains: will this science bring benefit to humanity?

Again and again the same thing was repeated: a successful launch, a successful separation of the capsule, and then - a parachute torn to shreds and monkeys smeared all over the cockpit. Then they developed the so-called "improved system". In the first test of the new system, the crew of the rocket - one monkey and two mice - successfully landed in the New Mexico desert. Unfortunately, the search team did not work quickly enough, and when the cabin was finally found, the monkey (according to some sources, Gordo's capuchin) had already died from the heat.

Truly, delay is like death!

Success came only on May 28, 1959, when the Jupiter-C rocket was launched with a three-kilogram rhesus monkey Able and a small half-kilogram Baker monkey (both females). Having risen to a height of 500 km, the rocket flew along a ballistic trajectory of 2500 km, and then was driven into the Atlantic Ocean. Able and Baker successfully survived their landing in the ocean and are therefore immortalized as "the first animals to return alive from space".

However, it is known for certain that in October 1957, during the World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow, on one of the evenings of "technology and science fiction" other heroes of space were demonstrated. These were three small dogs, each of which had to visit a high altitude (practically in space) in the near future and return to Earth. At the height of the Cold War, it was, of course, impossible to double-check this message. However, after the flights of the first two Soviet satellites in 1957, the leadership of the USSR was no longer in dispute.

Able died a week after landing during an operation. Other experimental animals continued to be sent into space. Among them, the most famous was the chimpanzee Ham. Astronaut Alan Shepard, who took off into the stratosphere on May 5, 1961, later called himself "the link between Ham and man."

However, after the sensational flight of Yuri Gagarin, these words sounded disappointing for America. In November 1961 alone, the chimpanzee Enos circled the earth twice, receiving tasty banana pills or electric shocks during the mission, depending on the quality of his work.

Space has long attracted man, attracted the eye, excited the imagination of scientists. People have long wanted to know what lies beyond our planet. And it is very symbolic that it was not people who were the first to discover this secret, but dogs, our devoted, intelligent and faithful friends.

Everyone knows that dogs were the first in space, but before the flight, these four-legged astronauts went through a rigorous selection and training, they were accustomed to weightlessness, overloads.

Space has always attracted man, but the risk of flight was very high, so it was decided to send dogs on a test flight. They were selected according to strict criteria. These were supposed to be young individuals no older than 6 years old, healthy, resistant to environmental influences, with a calm, docile nature. Light-colored dogs were preferred, as they were better seen on monitors.

As a result, thoroughbred dogs turned out to be unsuitable for flying, and it was mongrels who came up, who were selected even from kennels and on the streets.

The honor to go on the first flight went to two dogs named Dezik and Gypsy. This flight took place on July 22, 1951 at the Kapustin Yar cosmodrome. When the rocket rose to 100 kilometers, the compartment with the dogs detached and flew to the ground. At an altitude of 7 kilometers, the parachute opened and the dogs landed safely. Academician Korolev personally met the dogs with great joy, because a successful flight meant further continuation of the research. Academician Blagonravov took the gypsy for himself, but the dog Dezik continued his career. Unfortunately, during the next flight, which took place a week later, the parachute did not open and the capsule with the dogs crashed.

Read also: How do you get over the death of a beloved dog? Tips for adults and parents of toddlers

In the meantime, space exploration did not stop, on August 15, 1951 Mishka and Chizhik participated in the flight, and on August 19 - Ryzhik and Bold. Unfortunately, there were also tragedies, for example, on August 28, Mishka and Chizhik died during their second flight. In September, a flight was also planned, which almost failed due to the escape of the main pilot, the dog Courageous. It was decided to replace the dog, as a result, an unprepared dog, who lived near the dining room, flew into space with the dog Unlucky. Despite everything, the flight was successful, and the dog was given the name ZIB (short for "Spare Disappeared Bobik").

New Perspectives

In 1954, for the first time, a method of ejection of dogs was carried out not in the compartment, but in an individual spacesuit, successfully tested on July 26 on the dogs Ryzhik and Lisa-2. After that, scientists gradually switched to orbital flights.

space age

The first earth satellite was launched in 1957, on October 4, and this momentous event marked the beginning of an era of rapid space exploration. And already on November 3, a satellite with the dog Laika was launched into orbit. Unfortunately, the satellite, along with the passenger, burned out in flight through the dense layers of the atmosphere.

Space heroes - Belka and Strelka

Only two years later, the experiments continued. On August 19, 1960, a rocket entered orbit with dogs, mice, two white rats, several types of insects, plants and fungi on board. The ship completed 17 revolutions around the Earth, and stayed in orbit for more than a day.

Read also: Why Chihuahua tucks his tail: we understand the main reasons

The legendary Belka and Strelka took part in this flight, although Chaika and Chanterelle were supposed to fly instead of them, who tragically died a little earlier during an unsuccessful flight.

Belka and Strelka became celebrities, the whole world was talking about them, because these two outbred dogs were the first to be in orbit and returned alive. By the way, both lived to old age.

For the first human flight, it was necessary to make sure that the successful flight of Belka and Strelka was not a pure accident. Two successful flights were made, but it was followed by four more attempts to repeat the launch of the rocket with animals into orbit, which ended tragically.

Star flight

March 1961 was marked by two successful launches. The dog Chernushka, accompanied by "Ivan Tsarevich" (such a name was given to the human dummy), went into orbit on March 9, and successfully returned to earth. After that, on March 25, the dummy "Ivan Tsarevich" flew with the dog Zvezdochka.

As a result, human travel into space became possible. And on April 12, finally, the Vostok spacecraft with Lieutenant Yuri Gagarin on board flew into orbit.

Thus, 29 launches were performed over 9 years, and 18 dogs died during the entire time of the experiments. At least 30 dogs took part in the flights, most of them flew several times.

Dogs were sent into space even after the flight of man, already in 1966, on February 22. The dogs Veterok and Ugolyok took part in the flight, they spent almost three weeks in orbit, and landed safely on Earth.