home Analyzes Belka and Strelka: the story of “star” dogs. The first cosmonauts were dogs Belka and Strelka Spaceship Belka and Strelka

Belka and Strelka: the story of “star” dogs. The first cosmonauts were dogs Belka and Strelka Spaceship Belka and Strelka

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...

Belka and Strelka- Soviet cosmonaut dogs are the first animals to make an orbital space flight on the Sputnik 5 spacecraft and return to Earth unharmed. The launch took place on August 19, 1960, the flight lasted more than 25 hours, during which the ship made 17 complete orbits around the Earth.
The main goal of the experiment to launch the second spacecraft-satellite, called Sputnik-5 (the fifth spacecraft of the Sputnik series), was to study the influence of space flight factors on the body of animals and other biological objects (overload, long-term weightlessness, transition from overload to weightlessness and vice versa), studying the effect of cosmic radiation on animal and plant organisms, on the state of their vital activity and heredity, developing systems that ensure human life, flight safety and safe return to Earth. Several biomedical experiments and scientific research into outer space were also carried out.

Belka and Strelka were stand-ins for the dogs Chaika and Lisichka, who died in the crash of the same ship during an unsuccessful launch on July 28, 1960. At the 19th second of flight, the side block of the first stage of the launch vehicle collapsed, causing it to fall and explode.

Story

Space heroes, Belka and Strelka, were backups for two other dogs who were being prepared for flight. Chanterelle and Chaika died in the rocket at launch three weeks earlier.

The flight of the dogs Belka and Strelka paved the way into space for the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. They are the first living beings to fly into space, spend almost a day there and return to Earth alive and unharmed. Belka and Strelka were responsible for testing the spacecraft, on which the first man later flew into space.

The main goal of the experiment was to study the effects of cosmic radiation on living organisms. Also during the flight, the effectiveness of various life support systems was studied. Various power supply, water supply, sanitation and waste recovery systems were tested.

Before sending a spacecraft with a man into orbit, it was necessary to test it on animals. A catapult and many hours of weightlessness were tested, and the main question was resolved: sending a person into space on a spaceship and returning him back unharmed is real.

The ship was equipped with medical and biological equipment that recorded changes occurring in the dogs’ bodies at various points in their life in space throughout the flight. For the flight into space, Belka and Strelka were dressed in red and green suits specially tailored for this purpose.

Before sending Belka and Strelka into space, they underwent special training. At the same time, scientists had to solve several serious problems. It was necessary to achieve an acceptable temperature in the spacecraft cabin; the dogs had difficulty withstanding the heat. The astronaut dogs also had to endure overload and stress. In addition, Belka and Strelka needed to be accustomed to a cramped enclosed space, a feeding system and a dog toilet. Together with the dogs, two white rats and several mice flew into space. The launch of the Vostok spacecraft took place from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 15:44. The next day, the descent module with animals on board ejected safely in the given area.

The mongrels Belka and Strelka, who returned from orbit, became the object of increased attention: they were shown on television, and just a day after landing they already took part in a press conference. The space heroes felt great. Strelka left behind numerous offspring. One of her puppies was given to the wife of American President Kennedy, Jacqueline.

Life after flight

The further life of Belka and Strelka was spent in the enclosure of the Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine. At the same time, they were taken for display to kindergartens, schools and orphanages. A few months later, Strelka gave birth to offspring. All six puppies were healthy. Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev gave one of them, a girl named Pushinka, to the wife of US President John Kennedy, Jacqueline, and their daughter Caroline. Belka and Strelka lived to a ripe old age and died a natural death. Currently, stuffed animals of these dogs are in the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow and are still the objects of close attention of visitors, especially children.

In works of art and popular culture

The dogs Belka and Strelka were famous all the time after their flight into space. Films were made about them, and commemorative postage stamps with their images were made. The names of these dogs became associated with space and great human achievements. There was also sarcasm and irony: during the Soviet era there was a political joke: “By launching a satellite with dogs, it was scientifically proven that any bitch can be raised to an unattainable height.”

Many films, mostly documentaries, have been made on the topic of the flight into space of Belka, Strelka and other cosmonaut dogs.

Photos

On August 19, 1960, simple mongrels Belka and Strelka were launched into Earth orbit on the Sputnik-5 spacecraft by the Vostok launch vehicle. 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

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 that the first cosmonaut was in good health, 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

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 taken 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.

The first pair of dogs to survive an orbital space flight. The flight took place on August 19, 1960, the flight time was more than 25 hours, during which time the ship made 17 complete orbits around the Earth. The main task of the dogs was to evaluate the overload during takeoff and the body's reaction to the transition from overload to weightlessness. The body’s reaction to the long-term effect of weightlessness on the body was also assessed. Also during this flight, life support systems were tested, which were later to be adapted for the first human flight into space.

Both dogs are females, since it was easier to construct assinization blocks for them.

Well, let me start with the fact that the dogs’ names were not actually Belka and Strelka, but Albina and Marquise. But Comrade Mitrofan Ivanovich Nedelin, who is the commander-in-chief of the strategic missile forces, insisted on changing the nicknames to Soviet ones, without even discrediting the honor and dignity of the first Soviet cosmonauts.

The second truth is that Belka and Strelka were not the main crew, but a backup crew for the first pair of dogs, Chaika and Lisichka. But the launch of Chaika and Chanterelle was tragically interrupted 19 seconds after the start. The launch vehicle used to launch the first crew had a side block of the first stage collapse, which led to the destruction of the rocket and the death of Chaika and Chanterelle.

Third. Dogs weren't the only living creatures on the rocket. Forty mice and two white rats were launched into the rocket. Only twelve mice were placed in the descent container. The rest remained outside the descent container.

Fourth. Belka, Strelka, Chaika and Lisichka are not the only dog-cosmonauts who entered Earth's orbit. Before them, at five 5:30 Moscow time on November 3, 1957, a dog named Laika was launched into space. This was the very first animal sent into space. It was planned that the dog would spend about a week in Earth’s orbit, since the animal’s return to earth was not planned. But the dog died seven hours after launch from capsule overheating.

July September 1951

But, before space launches, there were launches on suborbital trajectories. This was the first stage of space research using animals.

№	Nickname	date	Result
1	Dezik and Gypsy	July 22, 1951	Launch on the R-1B geophysical rocket. Launch from the Kapustin Yar test site. Flight time until landing is 20 minutes. The landing occurred at the specified location. The dogs felt great.
2	Desik And Fox	July 29, 1951	Launch on the R-1B geophysical rocket. Launch from the Kapustin Yar test site. Due to vibration, problems arose with the barole and the parachute did not open. Both dogs died.
3	Bear and Chizhik	August 15, 1951	Launch on the R-1B geophysical rocket. Launch from the Kapustin Yar test site. The flight time before the parachute opens is 18 minutes.
4	Brave and Ryzhik	August 19, 1951	Launch on the R-1B geophysical rocket. Launch from the Kapustin Yar test site. The flight was successful.
5	bear And Chizhik	August 28, 1951	Launch on the R-1B geophysical rocket. Launch from the Kapustin Yar test site. Due to vibration, the automatic pressure regulator in the cabin failed. Mishka and Chizhik died from suffocation.
6	Unlucky and ZIB	September 3, 1951	Launch on the R-1B geophysical rocket. Launch from the Kapustin Yar test site. Neputevy was a trained dog, and ZIB (Spare Missing Bobik) was caught near the dining room, since the main trained dog ran away.

As a result, four successful flights and four dead dogs.

1954 1957

The second stage was to design a catapult mechanism to return animals to Earth from low orbit. The capsules were not airtight and therefore the dogs were dressed in special spacesuits. All starts were carried out from the Kapustin Yar training ground.

№	Nickname	date	Result
7	Fox (second) and Ryzhik (second)	June 24, 1954	Perhaps there was a forgery and the first test failed, since there is evidence that the launch was carried out not on June 24, but on June 26. Launch on the R-1D geophysical rocket. The flight was successful, both dogs returned to Earth alive.
8	Queen and Bear (second)	July 2, 1954	Launch on the R-1D geophysical rocket. Due to problems with the ejection device, Mishka (the second) died. The lady landed safely.
9	Ryzhik (second) and Damka	July 7, 1954	Launch on the R-1D geophysical rocket. There were also problems with the ejection mechanism and Ryzhik (the second) died. The lady landed safely.
10	Fox (second) And Bulba	February 5, 1955	Launch on the R-1E geophysical rocket. Due to the sharp return of the rocket when the stabilization mechanism was activated, the carts with dogs pierced the hull and fell out of the rocket at an altitude of 40 kilometers. Both dogs died.
11	Rita and Linda	June 25, 1955	Launch on the R-1E geophysical rocket. Rita died, Linda survived.
12	Baby and Button	November 4, 1955	Launch on the R-1E geophysical rocket. The ejection occurred at an altitude of 90 kilometers. Both dogs survived.
13	Baby and Milda	May 31, 1956
14	Kozyavka and Albina	June 7, 1956	Launch on the R-1E geophysical rocket. The landing was safe and both dogs survived.
15	Kozyavka and Albina	June 14, 1956	Launch on the R-1E geophysical rocket. The landing was safe and both dogs survived. It was a relaunch.

As a result of fifteen flights, five dogs died.

1957 1960

The third stage of research consisted of launching animals to altitudes from 212 to 450 kilometers. Instead of a non-sealed cabin and spacesuits, it was decided to use sealed cabins, which were descent modules. Also, small animals were placed along with the dogs, depending on the type of experiment: rats, mice and rabbits.

№	Nickname	date	Result
16	Redhead and Lady	May 16, 1957	Launch on the R-2A geophysical rocket. The flight altitude was 212 kilometers, the flight was successful.
17	Redhead And Joina	May 24, 1957	Launch on the R-2A geophysical rocket. Due to depressurization of the capsule, both dogs died.
18	Squirrel and Fashionista	August 25, 1957	Launch on the R-2A geophysical rocket. An experiment was conducted in which Belka was run under anesthesia, and Fashionista was in normal mode. The experiment was a success.
19	Squirrel and Lady	August 31, 1957	Launch on the R-2A geophysical rocket. The experiment with anesthesia was repeated. Both dogs returned alive, Belka was under anesthesia again.
20	Squirrel and Fashionista	September 6, 1957	Launch on the R-2A geophysical rocket. The third time the dogs were tested was used to clarify the mechanisms of shifts in the physiological functions of animals during flight under anesthesia.
21	Palm And Fluff	February 21, 1958	Launch on a geophysical rocket R-5A. The rocket rose to a height of 473 kilometers. Both dogs died due to depressurization of the capsule.
22		August 2, 1958	Launch on the R-2A geophysical rocket. The flight was successful.
23	Nipper (Brave) and Palma (second)	August 13, 1958	Launch on the R-2A geophysical rocket. The restart was successful.
24	Motley and Belyanka	August 27, 1958	Launch on a geophysical rocket R-5A. Climbing to a height of 453 kilometers.
25	Zhulba And Button (second)	October 31, 1958	Launch on a geophysical rocket R-5A. Due to a failure of the parachute system, the parachutes did not open and both dogs died.
26		July 2, 1959	Launch on the R-2A geophysical rocket. The Gray rabbit (aka Marfushka) was launched along with the dogs.
27	Nipper (Brave) and Snowflake (Pearl)	July 10, 1959	Launch on the R-2A geophysical rocket. The experiment was successful.
28	Nipper (Brave) and Malek	June 15, 1960	Launch on the R-2A geophysical rocket. We will climb to a height of 206 kilometers. Additionally, the rabbit Zvezdochka took part in the experiment.
29	Palma (second) and Malek	September 16, 1960	Launch on the R-2A geophysical rocket. The experiment was successful. This was the final flight on geophysical rockets.

Six dogs died as a result of the flights.

Experiments in outer space

At the end of the ascent of dogs to near space and in parallel with it, dogs were launched into outer space. To launch the dogs, they used sealed capsules and research equipment to study the effects of cosmic radiation and long-term weightlessness on living organisms.

№	Nickname	date	Result
1	Laika	November 3, 1957	The dog was launched into Earth orbit by the Sputnik-2 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The dog died during the seventh hour of the flight from overheating. To confirm the theory of death from overheating, two additional experiments were conducted on Earth, resulting in the death of two more dogs.
2	Chanterelle And Gull	July 28, 1960	The dogs were launched into orbit by the Vostok 1K No. 1 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. At 19 seconds of flight, the upper stage “G” collapsed and the launch vehicle fell to the ground and exploded at 38 seconds of flight.
3	Belka (second) and Strelka	August 19, 1960	The dogs were launched into Earth orbit by the Sputnik-5 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The flight was successful and the dogs returned to Earth alive.
4	Bee And Front sight	December 1, 1960	The dogs were launched into orbit by the Vostok 1K No. 5 spacecraft. Due to the failure of the braking system of the propulsion system, there was a possibility that the spacecraft would fall into the territory of another country and the system for automatically detonating the object (APO) was launched.
5	Zhulka and Zhemchuzhina	December 22, 1960	The dogs were launched into Earth orbit by the Vostok 1K No. 6 spacecraft. Small animals were released along with the dogs. After the apparatus descended, it turned out that the dogs were alive, but the small animals died.
6	Chernushka	March 9, 1961	The dog was launched into Earth orbit by the Vostok ZKA No. 1 spacecraft from Baikonur. A full-size human dummy was flown along with the dog to explore the possibility of human flight. The experiment turned out to be successful.
7	Star	March 25, 1961	The dog was launched into Earth orbit by the Vostok ZKA No. 2 spacecraft from Baikonur. The flight was also accompanied by a mannequin. The flight was successful.
8	Breeze and Coal	February 22, 1966	The dogs were launched into Earth orbit by the Cosmos-110 spacecraft from Baikonur. To study the long-term effects of weightlessness, the dogs spent twenty-three days in space. The experiment was successful.

As a result, five dogs died.

Now we can sum up the number of dogs that died in the pre-human era of space. It turns out that twenty dogs died during experiments in space and two on Earth to confirm the theory that Laika died due to a design error and overheating.

But these dogs were taken from a stray dog kennel and it is not known what was better for them, to die in a gateway from a janitor’s boot or in a rocket flight.

Dogs Belka and Strelka are the most famous animals in the world that became passengers on a spaceship. Unusual astronauts were the first to make an extraterrestrial flight, returning alive and unharmed. It was these famous pets that opened the way to space for man. Thanks to their “contribution,” scientists were able to find out the influence of space flight factors on the body of a living being. This made it possible to create safe flight conditions for humans and ensure a safe return to Earth. Let's get acquainted with the features of dog flight in more detail.

Dogs Belka and Strelka are pioneers of outer space. The beginning of time

The dogs Belka and Strelka were not planned participants in the space journey; they were just stand-ins for other animals who were assigned the main roles. Initially, scientists were preparing Chaika and Chanterelle (other dogs) for space exploration, but the pets died during a rocket launch a few weeks earlier.

The predecessor of the famous dogs was Laika, who was sent into space. However, the imperfect operation of life support systems led to the death of the animal. This happened on the 5th circle that the ship made around the Earth's atmosphere. After the death of the “pilot,” the rocket was not returned to the station; it circled the orbit for another 5 months, after which it burned up in the atmosphere.

In addition to dogs, other animals also took part in the scientific experiment. The objects of the study were monkeys, turtles, cats, rats, frogs, guinea pigs, newts and other animals. An interesting fact about space exploration is the birth of a quail chick there. Scientists launched a box of bird eggs into space, and during their flight several of them hatched in gravity. Two chicks even returned to Earth alive, having managed to withstand the harsh conditions of space.

The dogs Belka and Strelka made a contribution to the conquest of space that is difficult to overestimate. They paved the way for Yuri Gagarin, who, like the heroic dogs, became the first representative of his species to leave the Earth and return to it again.

The dogs spent more than a day in outer space, which made it possible to study the effects of weightlessness on the human body. Scientists' theories took the form of axioms, which made Gagarin's flight safe. During the flight, the effectiveness of life support systems was tested. Thanks to this, it became clear: sending a person into space and returning him unharmed is a real task.

In order to monitor the condition of the dogs, they wore special suits that recorded various changes in their condition and transmitted data to medical and biological equipment.

Before setting off on the flight, preparatory work was carried out with the dogs, making it possible to accustom them to a confined space, a dog toilet on board, as well as adapting the animals to the temperature regime of the ship. In addition to Belka and Strelka, there were several rats and mice on board the spacecraft, which did not go down in history, immortalizing their names.

The rocket launch took place in Baikonur orbit at 15.44. A day later the ship returned to the station. After the dogs Belka and Strelka returned, they became real heroes and everyone’s attention was focused on them. Immediately after the completion of the “expedition”, the pets were shown on television and were invited to various press conferences.

The choice of heroes - how was it?

The dogs Belka and Strelka were not selected for space flight by chance; they met strict selection criteria. Thousands of dogs became candidates for the role of the first cosmonauts, but only two were selected - their body weight was no more than 7 kg, and their height should not exceed 37 cm. At the same time, great demands were made on the character of the pets.

They must have a calm and balanced character, not react to stress, and remain calm even in critical situations. The fact is that flying is already a huge test for animals. And if something goes wrong during the expedition (as scientists assumed), then the animal must remain equanimous.

Therefore, the question of the participation of purebred dogs in the flight was rejected almost immediately. Such pets have a very gentle and sensitive character and are very picky about food. After a series of experiments, scientists came to the conclusion that only stray dogs kept in kennels can be sent into space.

When choosing animals, not only the “internal” qualities played a role, but also the appearance of the dogs. Belka and Strelka were also selected for aesthetic reasons. The fact is that scientists understood that returning pets would become the object of mass attention, so they must have a presentable appearance. After all, they will constantly appear on TV screens and participate in international broadcasts.

The dogs Belka and Strelka had a pretty appearance, correct proportions, and were distinguished by their friendliness (which is also important for regular public appearances and contact with the press). The pets had an interesting combination of colors among themselves - white and dark brown.

Interesting facts that you probably didn’t know about the flight:

Preparing to launch dogs Belka and Strelka:

preparations for the flight began several months before the expected launch date of the rocket;
the dogs Belka and Strelka were constantly placed in small cabins, gradually increasing the duration of their stay there. After eliminating the attacks of claustrophobia, artificial noises characteristic of outer space were added to the cabins;
training in feeding from a special apparatus that dispenses food in the form of a vein. The pets also got used to constantly wearing clothes that record their health status, thanks to which it is possible to determine the influence of space on general well-being and the adequacy of the life support systems on the ship;
testing the vestibular apparatus of animals - placing dogs in pressure chambers and centrifuges.

Features of the spacecraft

The ship used to launch dogs into space was called Sputnik. He, in fact, was a prototype of the Vostok rocket, which would open doors for people outside their home planet. Scientific and engineering institutions of the country took part in the creation of the rocket.

The structure of the ship was quite simple - a cockpit for the pilots and an instrument compartment. The following items were located in the compartment:

life support equipment;
equipment for monitoring the physical condition of pets;
orientation systems, radiometers;
equipment for recording technical parameters: noise, speed, temperature;
equipment for monitoring the operation of other equipment;
necessary instruments that guarantee a safe landing;
other living organisms: mice, rats, plants, fungal cultures, insects, microbes.

The cabin became the prototype of a modern camera for finding a person. The most important things during the flight were located there: food, ventilation systems, water supply, sewage disposal equipment, catapult equipment, television cameras, radio transmitters.

First flight to space

The dogs Belka and Strelka left Earth's orbit in 1960. The cabin in which the animals were located was lowered into the rocket several hours before launch. The main person responsible for preparing the launch was S.P. Korolev. During the period of launch and exit from the Earth's atmosphere, the dogs experienced increased excitement and rapid heartbeat. However, an hour later the pets’ condition returned to normal, and the pulse returned to normal.

Life support equipment fully satisfied the needs of pets in outer space. Feeding machines “offered” the animals treats of food and water several times a day. At the same time, the air in the chamber was constantly purified - the regenerating substance absorbed carbon dioxide, while releasing the required level of oxygen. Medical equipment recorded all vital signs of the dogs during the flight.

In addition to the technical indicators, the dogs were monitored around the clock using television. Thanks to the presence of the film, scientists could compare the external state of the pet and its indicators of internal activity at any time the animal was in space. However, scientists were able to observe the behavior of the dogs with a delay, since the television signal arrived with a delay.

Dogs Belka and Strelka - behavior during flight:

calm state during the experiment;
manifestation of the healthy state of pets: periodic activity and good appetite;
slight effect of gravity on the circulatory system of dogs;
maintaining body temperature throughout the flight;
maintaining the pace of metabolic processes;
By the end of the day in space, the pets began to show signs of anxiety, Belka began to vomit, and the dog tried to escape from the seat belts.

On August 20, 1960, Sputnik landed at the station again. However, the ship landed 10 km from the given point. The first visual contact made it clear that the dogs Belka and Strelka were feeling well and had survived the flight well. After a visual inspection, the dogs were handed over to the rescue team, which studied the physiological state of the pets in more detail.

Results of space exploration

From a scientific point of view, the dogs Belka and Strelka made a huge contribution to the development of science. Thanks to their flight, scientists were convinced that launching a person into space is possible and does not pose a threat to life. Scientists also managed to identify the safe time for a person to remain in weightlessness, the number of orbits around the Earth and other factors that will make Gagarin’s flight safe.

During the flight of the dogs, scientists were able to obtain the necessary knowledge about the physical, biochemical and cytological reactions of the body to gravity conditions. The flight into outer space caused stress in the dogs, but the morale of the pets quickly recovered after returning to Earth.

Scientists were confused by Belka's behavior during the fourth orbit around the orbit. The dog clearly felt unwell, although medical data on its condition showed no abnormalities. No defects were detected even after the pet arrived in orbit. This became the reason for choosing the minimum time in outer space for humans and making a minimum number of orbits around the planet. Thanks to the behavior of Strelka, Yuri Gagarin carried out only one revolution.

After the dogs returned to Earth, the news about the conquest of space spread throughout the world. The launch heroes were immediately invited to the TASS conference, and footage of their flight was regularly broadcast on TV. While transporting the dogs to the TASS building, they were accompanied by Lyudmila Radkevich, a member of the scientific team preparing the dogs for launch. Lyudmila also took a direct part in the selection of animals for the flight.

While getting out of the car, the woman slipped and fell while holding the animals in both hands. The gallant men immediately raised Lyudmila and congratulated her on landing again, brightening up the awkward moment with a joke.

The dogs Belka and Strelka got the life of public figures after the flight. They constantly went to shows in various institutions. And the pets' puppies were no less famous than their parents.

Continued exploration of extraterrestrial spaces

The last test launch before manned space flight was a rocket launch in 1961. The dogs Belka and Strelka were no longer on board; they were replaced by Zvezdochka and a human dummy. They made a revolution around the planet and returned safely. Thanks to such an active participation of dogs in the development of domestic science, even Yuri Gagarin himself said the catchphrase: “Who am I? The first man in space or the last dog?

However, the help of four-legged friends in space exploration did not stop there. Next, Veterok and Ugolek set off to conquer uncharted spaces. Their main task was to spend more than 20 days in space, which would allow them to study the duration of safe exposure to gravitational conditions on humans and the necessary conditions for maintaining life.

Preparations for the experiment also began several months before the launch. At the same time, the pets had to undergo several operations to amputate their tails. Belka and Strelka's previous experience showed that tails get in the way during flight, so the decision was made to “get rid of them.” It is interesting that scientists selected only two dogs for further flight, although more than 30 pets were operated on. The operation was not complicated, and just a couple of days after it the pets felt great.

The dogs were also implanted with special catheters into the venous bed, with the help of which scientists were able to monitor the physical condition of the dogs and their internal reactions. Next, Coal and Veterok had to undergo traditional training in a confined space, special “space” food, and tests in centrifuges.

The rocket launch was successful: the animals experienced virtually no signs of panic and reacted to the stressful situation more calmly than their predecessors. In general, the pets spent 22 days in outer space, and the data received at the station about their health was quite satisfactory.

However, when the dogs returned to Earth, scientists were in for an unexpected surprise. After removing the costumes from the animals, the researchers discovered that the dogs had lost their hair, their bodies were covered in diaper rash and even bedsores. Coal and Veterok practically could not stand on their own; they experienced severe weakness and constant thirst.

Scientists have not been able to figure out the reason for the unexpected “transformation” of pets. In addition, the dogs were immediately sent to an intervision session, where the pets were supported by staff from the research committee, simulating their favorable state after the flight.

After just a month of rehabilitation, the pets completely returned to their normal lifestyle. They began to be active, run independently, and a healthy appetite returned. The implanted catheters were removed from the dogs; their participation in the experiment did not affect their life expectancy. Moreover, they gave excellent offspring, each of the puppies was worth its weight in gold.

A trace in the history of dogs Belka and Strelka

The dogs Belka and Strelka became world famous after their legendary return to Baikonur. The fact is that similar experiments were carried out in the USSR more than once, but it was Belka and Strelka who managed to return to Earth unharmed, which means that scientists calculated all the technical and biological aspects of the launch correctly. Thanks to this discovery, human space flight became possible.

The pets immediately became stars of domestic and foreign television. Their images were printed on numerous posters and stamps. Dog names have become associated with man's greatest achievement. However, gratitude to pets is expressed even after many years, since they left an indelible mark on history:

In 2004, the Object Media company released a new cartoon about the adventures of Belka and Strelka in space. The main action of the film takes place on a distant planet, very reminiscent of Earth. The plot of the film is based on real events; the main characters are the dogs Belka and Strelka. The main musical accompaniment of the tape was the song of the Megapolis group;
in 2008, the next film about the adventures of the pet was shot under the direction of Vladimir Ponamarev. The plot of the film changes somewhat: instead of the usual preparation of dogs for launch and their adventures in space, the viewer is faced with an unexpected abduction of pets by aliens. The “foreign” guests mistook the animals for the most developed representatives of the Earth. The cartoon is very different from the film filmed in 2004. The plot of the film was written by residents of the Comedy Club, so the film is replete with jokes and sparkling humor. According to the plot of the film, dogs change their gender to male, the color of the animals also undergoes changes;