home Auditorium 7 Have the squirrel and the arrow returned to earth? Belka and Strelka are famous Soviet dogs who received the fame of all the cosmonaut animals. They came back alive

Have the squirrel and the arrow returned to earth? Belka and Strelka are famous Soviet dogs who received the fame of all the cosmonaut animals. They came back alive

August 19 marks 50 years since the day when the Vostok spacecraft with the dogs Belka and Strelka on board set off on a 24-hour flight returning to Earth.

Before human flights into space, numerous experiments were carried out with animals on spacecraft-satellites of the Earth. At the end of 1948, on the initiative of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, work began to determine the reactions of a highly organized living being to the effects of rocket flight conditions. After much discussion, it was decided that the “biological object” of the research would be a dog.

Physiologists have long used dogs for experiments, knew how they behave, and understood the structural features of the body. In addition, dogs are not capricious and are easy to train.

The first group of dogs - candidates for space flights - consisted of the most ordinary yard dogs. The doctors believed that from the first day they were forced to fight for survival, moreover, they were unpretentious and very quickly got used to the staff, which was tantamount to training.
Direct preparation of dogs for flight was carried out at the Institute of Aviation Medicine. For the experiments, small dogs weighing 6-7 kg were selected (the rocket cabin was designed for low weight), aged from two to six years, with good health, high resistance to diseases and resistance to adverse environmental influences. At the same time, they had to be communicative and patient. Later, they began to select “girls” for the “space squad” (it was easier for them to sew sewage clothing) of a light color (to be better visible on the television picture). Remembering that the dogs would have to “show off” on the pages of newspapers, they selected “objects” that were more beautiful, slimmer and with “intelligent” faces.

On board the spacecraft were the dogs Belka and Strelka, as well as other living beings. The purpose of this experiment is to study the effects of cosmic radiation on living organisms, as well as to test the effectiveness of various life support systems - nutrition, water supply, sewage disposal, waste regeneration. The ship was equipped with medical and biological equipment that recorded changes that occurred in the dogs’ bodies throughout the flight. For the flight, the dogs were given special suits in red and green colors.

The satellite ship consisted of two main parts: a descent module with a pressurized cabin and an instrument compartment. On the outer surface of the satellite ship there were cylinders with compressed gas reserves for the orientation system and its jet engines, scientific equipment sensors, solar panels, antennas, and thermal control system blinds. Using an autonomous drive, the solar panels were constantly oriented towards the Sun. When returning to Earth, the descent vehicle was to be separated from the spacecraft before entering the dense layers of the atmosphere (the instrument compartment burned up in these layers).

The hermetic cabin of the descent vehicle housed an animal life support system, equipment for biological experiments, part of the scientific equipment, an ejectable container, cells and containers with biological objects.

The ejection container and the descent vehicle had their own parachute systems, which reduced the landing speed to 6-8 and 10 m/s, respectively. The walls of the descent vehicle contained heat-resistant portholes and quick-opening hermetic hatches; the container was ejected through a shootable hatch on command from barometric sensors at an altitude of 7-8 km.

On August 20, 1960, a lander with animals on board landed safely in a given area. For the first time in the world, living beings, having been in space, returned to Earth.

The space flight of the dogs Strelka and Belka, which lasted more than 25 hours, during which the satellite made 17 complete orbits around the Earth, made it possible to obtain unique scientific data on the influence of space flight factors on the physiological, genetic and cytological systems of living organisms.

The dogs returning from orbit became the object of increased attention and a day later they took part in a press conference held in the TASS building. A few days later, television showed footage of the flight of Belka and Strelka. It was clearly visible how they tumbled in weightlessness. And while Strelka was wary of everything, Belka happily “got wild” and even barked.

Dogs have become everyone's favorites. They were taken to kindergartens, schools, and orphanages. The dogs didn't fly anymore. They stayed to live at the research institute. Both of them lived to very old years. Strelka left behind numerous offspring. And one of her puppies - Fluff - was presented to the wife of US President Jacqueline Kennedy.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

On August 19, 1960, the Vostok spacecraft launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the crew of which consisted of two dogs - Belka and Strelka - and several laboratory rats and mice (nameless). After some time, Vostok entered low-Earth orbit and then made an orbit around our planet.

Will space be turned into a “zoo”?

After its completion, an escape capsule separated from the ship, delivering the entire animal crew back to Earth to a precisely calculated location. Most of the participants in the space expedition were not injured (although 28 white mice did not survive the flight), their health was considered normal.

Belka and Strelka - the most popular dogs of the USSR in the 60s

After analyzing the results of this flight, scientists came to the conclusion that staying in space does not pose any danger to humans. As many participants in those long-ago events recall, after the successful return of Belka and Strelka, the idea of a spaceship with a human crew quickly went from being a dream to becoming a reality.

Meanwhile, the tailed travelers did not think at all about the consequences of their “celestial excursion”. They were simply enjoying the opportunity to finally return to their normal dog life with all its simple joys.

And they were probably very flattered by the increased attention to their persons. Where they haven't been:

at various press conferences
met with the country's leadership.

In honor of the four-legged space explorers, various postcards and calendars were issued, many of them were decorated with their portraits:

banners
posters
posters

As many eyewitnesses recall, in the early 60s There were no more popular dogs in the USSR than two ordinary mongrels, Belka and Strelka.

Other astronaut dogs

The fame of Belka and Strelka overshadowed the fame of other “space” dogs for many years. Until now, many of our compatriots believe that these two four-legged “space ladies” were the first dogs to fly into extraterrestrial space. However, this is, to put it mildly, not entirely true. There were astronaut dogs both before them and after them.

As a matter of fact, dogs were first launched into space back in 1951. And this launch turned out to be very successful. On July 22, from the Kapustin Yar test site in the Astrakhan region, an R-1 rocket carried a special pressurized cabin with two four-legged cosmonauts to a 110-kilometer altitude: the dogs Gypsy and Desik. The animals' flight into the stratosphere ended with a safe landing by parachute; none of the participants were injured.

At one time, many funny stories were told about this angry and troublesome guy, some of which were somewhat reminiscent of jokes. Let's give one of them.

Once, the vivarium in which Gypsy lived for some time after returning from space was inspected by a respectable elderly general. The gypsy, who had the right to walk around the premises at any time, clearly did not like the high-ranking inspector (as subsequent events showed, he had every reason for such hostility).

Dezik and Gypsy became real “space pioneers”.

True, these “pioneers” never entered low-Earth orbit. Dezik later died during further tests, and Gypsy lived for more than 10 years at home with the Chairman of the State Commission, Academician Blagonravov. They say that the first four-legged traveler was distinguished by a stern disposition and obvious leadership qualities, for which until the end of his days he was the recognized leader among the surrounding dogs.

To show who was the real boss in the vivarium, he calmly approached the military man and bit him on the leg in the area of the stripe.

They say that it was after this incident that Gypsy was urgently handed over to Blagonravov - they were afraid that the offended general would try to take revenge.

Laika - kamikaze astronaut

After Gypsy and Desik, several more dogs made suborbital flights. Some of them were successful, some ended tragically.

A new round in space exploration is associated with the name of the 2-year-old mongrel Laika, who on November 3, 1957 made the first orbital flight around the Earth.

This quiet and very affectionate dog also became the first tailed astronaut, whose name was “declassified” and became known to the whole world. However, for a long time the whole truth was not told about her flight, because she was very sad.

The fact is that in those days they did not yet know how to build ships that provided for the return of the crew back to Earth.

Therefore, from the very beginning it was clear that Laika was a kamikaze astronaut.

However, everyone thought that Laika would simply die quietly after the air in the cabin ran out (for some reason, such a death did not seem terrible to domestic scientists). In fact, everything turned out differently.

Laika - kamikaze astronaut

Laika successfully withstood all the overloads that arose during the rocket's takeoff, and felt absolutely normal during the 4 orbits of the satellite around the Earth.

But then something happened that the designers of this spacecraft could not have foreseen. Due to an error in calculating the satellite area and the lack of a thermal control system, the temperature of the skin during the flight rose to 40 °C. As a result, Laika died from overheating, although the official report stated that after the dog completed all the tasks, she was euthanized.

For many years, the only reminder of Laika’s feat was her portrait on a pack of cigarettes with the same name (you must agree, a very strange version of a monument to a hero).

And only on April 11, 2008 in Moscow on Petrovsko-Razumovskaya Alley on the territory of the Institute of Military Medicine, where the space experiment was being prepared, there was A monument to Laika by sculptor Pavel Medvedev was erected. The two-meter-tall monument represents a space rocket that turns into a palm, on which a four-legged explorer of extraterrestrial space proudly stands.

The fate of Belka and Strelka

So, as we see, Belka and Strelka were not at all the first dogs to travel into space. They were the first four-legged astronauts to circle the Earth and return. Their further fate turned out quite well. Everyone's favorites lived at the Institute of Space Research until they were very old, and never flew into space again. By the way, Strelka left behind numerous offspring, and one of her puppies, Fluff, was given to the daughter of US President John Kennedy, Caroline.

Surprisingly, there is extremely little biographical information about these four-legged “space ladies”. They (like all other four-legged space explorers) were taken from a homeless dog shelter in Moscow. The estimated age at which they made their space flight was about 2 and a half years. According to those who interacted with dogs:

A little over 49 years after the famous flight of Belka and Strelka, a unique monument was also erected.

In the spring of 2010, the animated 3D film “Belka and Strelka. Star Dogs” (directed by Svyatoslav Ushakov) was released on Russian cinema screens.

By the way, here too Belka and Strelka found themselves in the role of “pioneers” - many experts recognized this film as the first domestically produced film in 3D format, which was made at the level of international standards. The success of the cartoon abroad speaks to this. So, as you can see, 50 years later, the popularity of Belka and Strelka has increased again.

No one knows more about this flight than Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Adilya Ravgatovna Kotovskaya. She still heads the laboratory of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems and goes to work every day!

Adilya Ravgatovna, why did dogs pave the way for humanity into space?

Adilya Kotovskaya: There are three reasons for this. First of all, the mongrels really suited us. Their life is not easy: sometimes cold, sometimes hunger. This means that they are accustomed to different environmental conditions. Secondly, dogs relate very well to the person who is their master. And they train great. And thirdly, the physiology of the dog has been well studied since the time of Ivan Petrovich Pavlov.

Why were only “girls” launched into orbit?

Adilya Kotovskaya: Because “boys,” when they pee, raise their legs, and “girls” sit down. The sewage disposal device is easier to adapt to them. When we launched the first dogs on geophysical rockets, there were “boys” there too. Because the flights were short: the rocket rose in a straight line upward from 100 to 500 kilometers, and this took no more than four minutes.

Why did the dogs fly in pairs?

Adilya Kotovskaya: Because they see each other. They feel more comfortable in company.

Did you actually take them from the street?

Adilya Kotovskaya: Yes. We gave the special service the so-called technical specifications: age - three to four years, weight - up to five kilograms, height at the withers - 35 centimeters. We had up to a dozen dogs in our vivarium that we trained. They came to us having already passed the city veterinary selection.

The mongrels got used to the bones, but in orbit they had to taste the jelly...

Adilya Kotovskaya: They came up with a substance similar to jellied meat. A very appetizing smell came from it when it was cooked in our building... The dogs really liked it. Baths with the cosmic delicacy were attached directly under the place where the dogs lay. At a signal, the containers were pulled out, and after the dogs had eaten everything, they were removed. And so on until the next signal...

And who gave historical nicknames to the pioneers?

Adilya Kotovskaya: We had a junior researcher, Seva Georgievsky. He monitored the arrival of dogs and came up with nicknames for them himself. For example, there was a mongrel named Marquise; if you look at her, she’s all like herself. At first Belka and Strelka had the nicknames Kaplya and Vilna. But when the time came for them to fly, they decided that they needed to rename them more impressively. After all, they will become famous throughout the world!

Did the employees take the death of the test dogs seriously?

Adilya Kotovskaya: Who knows... Personally, the main thing for me was to provide everything for the future flight of man. You have to train and sacrifice something. But before Laika’s flight, even I cried. Everyone knew in advance that she would die, and asked her forgiveness.

At that time, technology did not allow us to return from space. And then the flight orbit changed and took on an elliptical shape; the rocket was in the sun more than planned. Overheating occurred, and Laika died within a day, although she was supposed to fly for seven days. Then the rocket left orbit and burned up in the atmosphere.

Laika was a wonderful dog; she was the first living creature in space. She proved that you can live in space not for minutes and hours, but for a day or more.

What do you remember about Belka and Strelka?

Adilya Kotovskaya: They flew for 27 hours and made 17 orbits around the Earth. This was the last launch before human flight, so literally everything was tracked. For the first time, a television image was coming from space. At that time, I was already very closely involved in the selection of astronauts and was not at the dog launch. I saw them after the flight, when they were both brought to our vivarium.

And then their glory began. Soon Strelka gave birth to three “girls” and three “boys”; they were shown on TV. And there was a completely white puppy named Fluff. The wife of US President Jacqueline Kennedy really liked him. And they decided to give her the “son” of an astronaut. A large delegation came to us from the US Embassy under the cover of complete secrecy, collected documents for Pushka, gave vaccinations, and then, almost with traffic police cars, transported him to the American Embassy. It was something! It seems like they are taking some kind of princess. I hope that he was fertile, like his mother, and now there are traces of us in America...

What was the fate of four-legged astronauts who were not spoiled by world fame?

Adilya Kotovskaya: They were examined, and then, if they did not fly a second time, the staff took them home. Or the dogs remained in the vivarium for the rest of their lives under good supervision.

And there was another case

Spare for the missing Bobik

On September 3, 1951, Neputevy and Rozhok were supposed to fly on the R-1B geophysical rocket. Just before the start, Rozhok mysteriously disappeared. There was no time to deliver a new dog from the vivarium. The researchers came up with the idea of catching a dog that fit the parameters near the canteen and sending him away, unprepared. They lured the mongrel, washed him...

They decided not to report the incident to General Designer Sergei Korolev for now. The good-for-nothing and his new partner survived the flight well. After landing, Korolev noticed the substitution. And having received an explanation, he assured that soon everyone would fly on Soviet rockets. The unexpected space passenger was given the nickname ZIB (Spare for the Disappearing Bobik). However, in his report to management, Korolev interpreted the abbreviation as “Reserve researcher without training.”

Facts and figures

The search and rescue team included junior researcher V. Georgievsky, who took part in preparing the dogs for the flight. He recalls:

When the descent module was opened, Belka and Strelka recognized me and began to caress me. Their condition was good, even better than after some training. Their noses were wet, the tongues with which they licked my hand were pink. I calmed down and even let them out for a walk in the steppe. When they were called to the helicopter, they eagerly came running.

On February 22, 1966, as part of the project to prepare a long-term human flight into space on the biosatellite spacecraft "Cosmos-110", Veterok and Ugolek entered orbit. The duration of their flight was 23 days - to this day this is a record for dogs. Breeze and Coal returned extremely exhausted, with fur worn down to the skin and bedsores.

This was the last "dog" flight in the history of astronautics.

On Soviet geophysical rockets (flight altitude from 100 to 500 kilometers), dogs were launched 29 times (all the time in pairs). 15 dogs died. The Brave mongrel flew on a rocket 5 times.

Dogs flew into orbit 8 times (5 times in pairs). 5 dogs died.

Room guide

The highlight of the issue is a conversation with the commander of the Il-76, Vladimir Sharpatov, who in August 1995, along with the crew, was captured by the Taliban. And a year later he made a daring escape, about which the film “Kandahar” was made. The real events, as often happens, were much more dramatic.

The fates of the graduates of the General Staff Academy, who took part in 1914 as a souvenir, are also dramatic. In a matter of weeks they will go to the front of the First World War, from which not everyone will return. And those who survived until 1917 will find themselves on opposite sides of the barricades. Rodina managed to trace the fates of 69 of the 82 officers looking at us from the photograph...

On August 19, 1960, simple mongrels Belka and Strelka were launched into Earth orbit by the Vostok launch vehicle on the Sputnik-5 apparatus. After spending almost a day in space, the dogs returned safely to Earth. Thus becoming the first living beings to travel to space and return back. Their flight became a major milestone in the history of space exploration, making possible the rapid flight of the first man.

The first experiments with suborbital flights began in the last years of the Stalin era. In 1951, a series of rocket launches were carried out with living beings on board. The flights were very short and did not exceed 20 minutes. The main goal was to evaluate the impact of overloads during rocket flight on a living creature. Flights into space were not envisaged, only flight along a ballistic trajectory through the upper layers of the troposphere.

Among the main candidates for the first suborbital flights were monkeys and dogs. Monkeys were closer to humans, but they behaved too unpredictably, and they were also in short supply in the USSR, as were trainers for them. Therefore, the creators of the Soviet space program gave priority to dogs.

Dog space squads were formed right on the streets of Moscow. Captured mongrels that met certain criteria (small size, good trainability, disposition towards people) were selected in nurseries for stray animals, and from there they were sent to the Research Institute of Test Medicine, where their preparation for flight began.

The choice in favor of stray mongrels was not determined by the lack of purebred dogs in the USSR, but by other factors. It was believed that a dog raised on the street had already gone through a harsh school and would be better prepared for the overloads of flight than any other.

At the research institute, dogs were trained for a long time to be in a small confined space, so as not to cause them to panic in a small apparatus. Then they put him through a centrifuge, taught him to wear a special protective suit with sensors, and also taught him to wear seat belts and calmly react to loud noise. Preparations for the flight lasted almost a year. The dogs were also selected taking into account compatibility, since it was planned to fly them in twos in order to more accurately determine the effect of flight on the body.

However, such serious preparations did not prevent a stray dog, who had not undergone any tests, from participating in one of the flights. On the night before the sixth launch, one of the flight participants, sensing a catch, ran away. He was replaced by a young puppy picked up right there on the street. The flight was successful.

A total of six launches were made from July to September 1951, of which two were unsuccessful. The first dogs to reach the line between the atmosphere and space and return were the mongrels Dezik and Gypsy. Dezik died on the next flight, becoming the first victim of the space program, and Gypsy was taken by Academician Blagonravov, who worked in the state commission for organizing research on geophysical rockets.

The second stage of research began in 1954 and was associated with the development of ejection systems. Due to imperfect technology, this stage became less successful than the previous one. Of the eight flights completed, four resulted in the death of one or both dogs.

At the last stage, which began in 1957, another system for returning astronauts was tested. Not ejection, but the return of the rocket head. 12 flights were made, of which only three were unsuccessful.

One way flight

A dog named Laika. Photo: © Shutterstock

The first living creature in Earth's orbit was a dog named Laika. Her flight took place less than a month after the launch of the first Soviet satellite. Since the launch was carried out on a similar device, its return home was not initially planned - and for the dog it was a one-way flight.

Several dogs were selected from nurseries for stray animals and underwent a series of tests. In the end, three were selected. However, one of the potential astronaut dogs became pregnant and was pitied. And the second one was less photogenic than Laika, who eventually went on a one-way flight.

On November 3, 1957, the Sputnik 2 spacecraft with a dog on board was successfully launched into orbit. It was assumed that the dog would spend a week in orbit, after which it would be euthanized with the last portion of food. But due to the fact that the device was launched in a hurry to meet the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution, the thermoregulation system was not completed. The dog died from overheating within a few hours. In order not to make the mistake public, Soviet news agencies regularly reported for a whole week about the cheerful state of the first cosmonaut and only then reported that Laika had been euthanized.

This information caused a real storm of indignation in Western countries. The largest European animal protection organizations called for picketing of Soviet embassies in protest against such treatment of dogs. The USSR, distributing photographs of a cute dog in a space suit, could not have predicted such a negative reaction.

Western journalists immediately nicknamed her “the loneliest and most unfortunate dog in the world.” Almost all newspapers in the world wrote about her flight. All this led to the astronaut dog acquiring cult status in the Western world. She still remains the heroine of many songs, books, films, cartoons, comics and anime. In terms of her popularity, Laika remains one of the most famous Soviet cosmonauts. Because of her dramatic one-way journey, she is much better known in Western countries than Belka and Strelka, who returned home safely.

Belka and Strelka

Immediately after the successful launch of a living creature into Earth orbit, preparations began for the flight with the return of the astronaut dogs to Earth. This was supposed to be the final point on the way to the main goal - the successful launch of a person into space and his return. 12 mongrels were selected for the flight program. The requirements for them were the same as before: small size, learning ability and loyalty, but something new was added - photogenicity. If the flight was successful, the dogs would be presented to the general public and would look good in photographs. In addition, only female dogs were selected for orbital flight due to the fact that they were easier to accustom to the sewage system.

The preparation was difficult. For a long time, dogs were trained to stay in a small enclosed space, for which a box was constructed that resembled an ejectable container in size. Then the training took place in a mock-up of the spacecraft. Getting the dogs to react calmly to tight spaces and loud noise was the hardest part.

In addition, future cosmonauts were taught to eat “space food” from specially designed feeding machines. They also took a long time to get used to the space suit with sensors.

At the final stage of training, the dogs were placed in conditions that were as close as possible to real flight. All this took place under the strict supervision of specialists, who recorded the slightest deviations from the norm. The dogs were preparing for the flight in Moscow. They were taken to Baikonur several days before the start.

Based on the results of the training, six dogs were selected for the first flight: Lisichka, Chaika, Vilna, Silva, Marciana and Laska. The dogs were given nicknames by the employees who worked with them; nicknames were changed periodically, including for reasons of “sonority.” Therefore, Vilna became a Squirrel, and Silva became a Drop. Later it was renamed Strelka. They received new names a few days before the start.

Belka showed some of the best results in training, but her partner Strelka was distinguished by increased modesty and timidity. The fox was the main favorite of the chief of the space program, Korolev, who was very fond of dogs.

As a result, Chanterelle and Chaika were chosen for the first flight. On July 28, 1960, a launch was carried out at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which ended in failure. A few seconds after the launch, one of the blocks of the launch vehicle collapsed, after which it fell and exploded. An emergency cosmonaut rescue system was not provided for at the launch, and its development began only after this incident. They began preparing backups for the new start - Belka and Strelka, who less than a week before the start received their names, by which the whole world recognized them.

First return from space

Around noon on August 19, 1960, the Vostok launch vehicle launched from Baikonur. The dogs were in the Sputnik 5 apparatus, which was crammed with all kinds of equipment, which is why the dogs were in a very cramped space. More precisely, they were in a special container inside the apparatus, which housed feeding devices, sewage disposal devices, television cameras, radio transmitters, as well as several neighbors - 12 mice and a number of plants. There were still 28 mice and two rats left outside the lowered container.

The dogs were fed twice a day with a special jelly that provided both food and water requirements. Theoretically, the dogs could withstand fasting for one day (the flight was planned for exactly this period), but it was necessary to study the characteristics of nutrition in zero gravity conditions.

Any change in the dogs' bodies in orbit was monitored. Their pulse, blood pressure, heartbeat, and breathing rate were monitored. In addition, video recording of the dogs was also carried out.

In general, the astronaut dogs survived the flight quite well. They were very nervous after the start because of the noise and overload; Belka’s pulse increased to 170 beats per minute, and the more timid Strelka’s - generally to 180. The breathing rate also increased to very high values.

But after entering orbit, the dogs calmed down and subsequently did not show concern. With the exception of Belka, who, already in orbit, suddenly began barking and trying to escape from her seat belts. The dog even vomited, but no significant deviations from the norm were detected in her body - most likely, it was a reaction to stress. However, because of this reaction, it was decided not to take risks and limit the first human flight into space to the minimum possible number of orbits around the Earth.

In total, the device made 17 orbits around the Earth. The dogs stayed in orbit for a day. At 13.32 on August 20, the braking system was turned on, as a result of which the device left orbit. A few hours later, the descent module was discovered in the Kazakh SSR, several kilometers from the estimated landing point. To pick up the dogs, a helicopter was sent with a search group, which included employees who prepared the animals for flight. This was done to calm them down after stress. However, the dogs felt good, were glad to return and to familiar faces, they were even allowed to run around the apparatus a little. After this, the first living beings to return from space were subjected to a thorough examination and sent to Moscow.

Further fate

Academician Oleg Gazenko demonstrates four-legged cosmonauts - Strelka (left) and Belka at a press conference dedicated to the flight of a spacecraft-satellite with experimental animals. Photo: © RIA Novosti/Alexander Nevezhin

On August 21, TASS organized a press conference at which it was announced that for the first time in history, the USSR had managed to safely return a living creature from Earth’s orbit. The dogs were brought to the press conference in a Pobeda car; they were driven by the research institute employees who worked with them. At the conference, Belka and Strelka were demonstrated to journalists as living confirmation.

After this, the dogs, photographs of which went around the world, returned to the Research Institute of Test Medicine. They no longer participated in training or flights, but they continued to be monitored to monitor possible long-term effects of being in space.

After some time, Strelka gave birth to several puppies. All of them were examined, and no abnormalities were found in them. Khrushchev gave one of the space dog puppies to the wife of American President Kennedy. During one of the receptions, Jacqueline Kennedy asked the Soviet leader what happened to the pioneer dogs. Khrushchev assured her that everything was fine with them, and one of the dogs even gave birth to offspring. And he promised to give one of the puppies to the president’s wife. The Secretary General kept his promise. Pushinka (that’s the dog’s nickname) was examined by veterinarians, given all the necessary vaccinations, and then handed over to the Americans.

In the USA, Pushinka gave birth to puppies from a Welsh Terrier who lived with Kennedy. He distributed some of the puppies to family friends, and gave the rest to children who sent letters to the president.

Belka and Strelka were the main celebrities of the USSR before Yuri Gagarin's flight. Famous people took pictures with them. The dogs were taken to schools and kindergartens to demonstrate to children.

The exact dates of death of star dogs are unknown. Most sources report that they lived until at least the late 60s and died at an advanced age by dog standards. Currently, stuffed space dogs are kept in the Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow. Eight months after the flight of Belka and Strelka, on April 12, 1961, a man went into space for the first time.

Will space be turned into a “zoo”?

Belka and Strelka - the most popular dogs of the USSR in the 60s

And they were probably very flattered by the increased attention to their persons. Where they haven't been:

at various press conferences
met with the country's leadership.

In honor of the four-legged space explorers, various postcards and calendars were issued, many of them were decorated with their portraits:

banners
posters
posters

As many eyewitnesses recall, in the early 60s There were no more popular dogs in the USSR than two ordinary mongrels, Belka and Strelka.

Other astronaut dogs

As a matter of fact, dogs were first launched into space back in 1951. And this launch turned out to be very successful. On July 22, from the Kapustin Yar test site in the Astrakhan region, an R-1 rocket carried a special pressurized cabin with two four-legged cosmonauts to a 110-kilometer altitude: the dogs Gypsy and Desik. The animals' flight into the stratosphere ended with a safe landing by parachute; none of the participants were injured.

At one time, many funny stories were told about this angry and troublesome guy, some of which were somewhat reminiscent of jokes. Let's give one of them.

Dezik and Gypsy became real “space pioneers”.

To show who was the real boss in the vivarium, he calmly approached the military man and bit him on the leg in the area of the stripe.

They say that it was after this incident that Gypsy was urgently handed over to Blagonravov - they were afraid that the offended general would try to take revenge.

Laika - kamikaze astronaut

After Gypsy and Desik, several more dogs made suborbital flights. Some of them were successful, some ended tragically.

A new round in space exploration is associated with the name of the 2-year-old mongrel Laika, who on November 3, 1957 made the first orbital flight around the Earth.

The fact is that in those days they did not yet know how to build ships that provided for the return of the crew back to Earth.

Therefore, from the very beginning it was clear that Laika was a kamikaze astronaut.

Laika - kamikaze astronaut

Laika successfully withstood all the overloads that arose during the rocket's takeoff, and felt absolutely normal during the 4 orbits of the satellite around the Earth.

For many years, the only reminder of Laika’s feat was her portrait on a pack of cigarettes with the same name (you must agree, a very strange version of a monument to a hero).

And only on April 11, 2008 in Moscow on Petrovsko-Razumovskaya Alley on the territory of the Institute of Military Medicine, where the space experiment was being prepared, there was A monument to Laika by sculptor Pavel Medvedev was erected. The two-meter-tall monument represents a space rocket that turns into a palm, on which a four-legged explorer of extraterrestrial space proudly stands.

The fate of Belka and Strelka

A little over 49 years after the famous flight of Belka and Strelka, a unique monument was also erected.

In the spring of 2010, the animated 3D film “Belka and Strelka. Star Dogs” (directed by Svyatoslav Ushakov) was released on Russian cinema screens.