NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Belka and Strelka

During the 1950s and 1960s the USSR used a number of dogs for sub-orbital and orbital space flights to determine whether human spaceflight was feasible. Before becoming cosmonauts, the dogs were strays from Moscow. Some human space travellers are grateful to these animals who were sacrificed to pave the way for human space-flight. In total in the 1950s and 60s, the Soviet Union launched missions with passenger slots for at least 57 dogs. The actual number of dogs in space is smaller as some dogs flew more than once. Belka and Strelka, part of the Russian Space Agency. ... // Events and trends The 1950s in Western society was marked with a sharp rise in the economy for the first time in almost 30 years and return to the 1920s-type consumer society built on credit and boom-times, as well as the height of the baby-boom from returning... The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... A sub-orbital spaceflight (or sub-orbital flight) is a spaceflight that does not involve putting a vehicle into orbit. ... The term orbital has several meanings: In physics and chemistry it is used to describe an atomic electron configuration, see also molecular orbital and atomic orbital. ... Saint Basils Cathedral and Spasskaya Tower of Moscow Kremlin at Red Square. ...

Training

Stray dogs, rather than animals accustomed to living in a house, were chosen because the scientists felt they would be able to tolerate the rigours and extreme stresses of space flight better than other dogs. Bitches were used because of their temperament and the fact that they did not need to lift their leg to urinate.

Their training included standing still for long periods of time, wearing space suits, being placed in simulators that acted like a rocket during launch, riding in centrifuges that simulated the high acceleration of a rocket launch and being kept in progressively smaller cages to prepare them for the confines of the space capsules. Dogs that flew in orbit were fed a nutritious gel.

Sub-orbital flights

Several dogs made high-altitude flights on R-1 series rockets between 1951 and 1952. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (637x800, 188 KB) Original russian space dog box used on suborbital and orbital flights photo taken and edited by de:Benutzer:HPH on Russia in Space exhibition (Airport of Frankfurt, Germany, 2002) File links The following pages link to this file... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (637x800, 188 KB) Original russian space dog box used on suborbital and orbital flights photo taken and edited by de:Benutzer:HPH on Russia in Space exhibition (Airport of Frankfurt, Germany, 2002) File links The following pages link to this file... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1952 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Dezik, Tsygan and Lisa

Dezik and Tsygan ("Gypsy") were the first dogs to make a sub-orbital flight on July 22, 1951. Both dogs were recovered unharmed after travelling to a maximum altitude of 100km. Dezik made another flight in September with a dog named Lisa, although neither survived. July 22 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ...

Lysa and Ryjik

Lysa and Ryjik flew to an altitude of 100km on June 2, 1954. 2 June is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Smelaya and Malyshka

Smelaya ("Bold" or "Courageous") was due to make a flight in September but ran away the day before the launch. Russian officials feared she had been eaten by wolves but she was found the next day and went on to make a successful flight with a dog named Malyshka ("Little One"). Binomial name Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 The Grey Wolf (Canis lupus), also known colloquially as the wolf, is a mammal of the Canidae family and the ancestor of the domestic dog. ...

Bolik and ZIB

Bolik ("Big Bull") ran away just days before her flight in September 1951. A replacement named ZIB (allegedly, a Russian acronym for "Substitute for Missing Dog Bolik") was quickly located and made a successful flight.

Otvazhnaya and Snezhinka

Otvazhnaya ("Brave One") made a flight on July 2, 1959 along with a rabbit named Marfusha ("Martha") and another dog named Snezhinka ("Snowflake"). She went on to make 5 other flights between 1959 and 1960. July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Albina and Tsyganka

Albina ("Whitey") and Tsyganka ("Little Gypsy") were both ejected out of their capsule at an altitude of 85km and landed safely. Albina was one of the dogs shortlisted for Sputnik 2 but never flew in orbit. Sputnik 2 was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, at 19:12:00 on November 3, 1957, and was the first spacecraft to carry biological material. ...

Damka and Krasavka

Damka ("Little Lady") and Krasavka ("Little Beauty") were both planned to make an orbital flight on December 22, 1960, however after the upper stage rocket failed the flight was aborted. Both were recovered successfully after an unplanned sub-orbital flight. Damka was also known as Shutka ("Joke") and Zhemchuzhnaya ("Pearly") and Krasavka was also known as Kometka ("Comet") and Zhulka ("Mutt"). December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Other dogs that flew on sub-orbital flights include Dymka ("Smoky"), Modnitsa ("Fashionable") and Kozyavka ("Little Gnat").

Orbital Flights

Colour photograph of Laika in her space capsule. ... Colour photograph of Laika in her space capsule. ...

Laika

Main article: Laika Laika, shown here in a harness, died from stress and overheating several hours after being launched into space. ...

Laika ("Barker"), originally named Kudryavka ("Little Curly") became the first living Earth-born creature in orbit aboard Sputnik II on November 3, 1957. Some call her the first living passenger to go into space, but others claim sub-orbital flights passed the edge of space first. She was also known as Zhuchka ("Little Bug") and Limonchik ("Lemon"). The American media dubbed her "Muttnik." She died between five and seven hours into the flight from stress and overheating. Her true cause of death was not made public until years after the flight, with officials always stating that she was either euthanized by poisoned food or died when the oxygen supply ran out. Some Russian scientists have since expressed regret for allowing Laika to die. Sputnik 2 was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, at 19:12:00 on November 3, 1957, and was the first spacecraft to carry biological material. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The media of the United States consists of several different types of communications media: television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based Web sites. ... Euthanasia (Greek, good death) is the practice of killing a person or animal, in a painless or minimally painful way, for merciful reasons, usually to end suffering. ...

Bars and Lisichka

Bars ("Panther" or "Lynx") and Lisichka ("Little Fox") died after their rocket exploded 28.5 seconds into the launch on July 28, 1960. Bars was also known as Chayka ("Gull"). July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Belka and Strelka

Belka (literally, "Squirrel," but as a dog's name it more likely means "Whitey", from Russian: "belyi" for "while") and Strelka ("Little Arrow") spent a day in space aboard Korabl-Sputnik-2 (Sputnik 5) on August 19, 1960 before safely returning to Earth. They were accompanied by a grey rabbit, 40 mice, 2 rats, flies and a number of plants and fungi. All biological passengers survived. Strelka went on to have six puppies, one of whom named Pushinka, was sent to President John F. Kennedy's children as a present. Pushinka's descendents are still living today. Stamp commemorating Belka and Strelka, who flew in Space in 1960 on board Korabl-Sputnik-2. ... Image File history File links The preserved body of Strelka on tour in Australia in 1991, next to a typical canine spacesuit. ... Crew None Mission Parameters Mass: 4,600 kg Perigee: 287 km Apogee: 324 km Inclination: 64. ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... JFK redirects here. ...

After death, the bodies of both Strelka and Belka were preserved. Belka is on display in Moscow, while Strelka continues to tour the world as part of a travelling exhibition.

Pchelka and Mushka

Pchelka ("Little Bee") and Mushka ("Little Fly") spent a day in orbit on December 1, 1960 on board Korabl-Sputnik-3 (Sputnik 6) with "other animals", plants and insects. Due to a navigation error their spacecraft disintegrated during re-entry on December 2 and all were killed. Mushka was one of the three dogs trained for Sputnik 2 and was used during ground tests. She did not fly on Sputnik 2 because she refused to eat properly. December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Crew None Mission Parameters Mass: 4,563 kg Perigee: 166 km Apogee: 232 km Inclination: 64. ... Atmospheric entry is the transition from the vacuum of space to the atmosphere of any planet or other celestial body. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Sputnik 2 was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, at 19:12:00 on November 3, 1957, and was the first spacecraft to carry biological material. ...

Chernushka

Chernushka ("Blackie") made one orbit on board Korabl-Sputnik-4 (Sputnik 9) on March 9, 1961 with a cosmonaut dummy (whom Russian officials nicknamed "Ivan Ivanovich"), mice and a Guinea pig. The dummy was ejected out of the capsule during re-entry and made a soft landing using a parachute. Chernushka was recovered unharmed inside the capsule. Crew None Mission Parameters Mass: 4,700 kg Perigee: 173 km Apogee: 239 km Inclination: 64. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Feral mouse A mouse is a mammal that belongs to one of numerous species of small rodents in the genus Mus and various related genera of the family MuridÃ¦ (Old World Mice). ... Species Cavia porcellus Cavia aperea Cavia tschudii Cavia guianae Cavia anolaimae Cavia nana Cavia fulgida Cavia magna Guinea pigs (also called cavies) are rodents belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. ...

Zvezdochka

Zvezdochka ("Little Star"), who was named by Yuri Gagarin, made one orbit on board Sputnik 10 on March 25, 1961 with a wooden cosmonaut dummy in the final practise flight before Gagarin's historic flight on April 12. Again, the dummy was ejected out of the capsule whilst Zvezdochka remained inside. Both were recovered successfully. Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (Russian: Ð®Ñ€Ð¸Ð¹ ÐÐ»ÐµÐºÑÐµÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð“Ð°Ð³Ð°Ñ€Ð¸Ð½; YOO-ree a-lek-SE-ye-veech ga-GA-reen; March 9, 1934 â€“ March 27, 1968), was a Soviet cosmonaut who in 1961 became the first human to travel into space. ... Crew None Mission Parameters Mass: 4,695 kg Perigee: 164 km Apogee: 230 km Inclination: 64. ... March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ...

Veterok and Ugolyok

Veterok (Ветерок, "Little Wind") and Ugolyok (Уголёк, "Little Piece of Coal") were launched on February 22, 1966 on board Voskhod 3 and spent 22 days in orbit before landing on March 16. This spaceflight of record-breaking duration was not surpassed by humans until Skylab 2 in 1974 and still stands as the longest space flight by dogs. February 22 is the 53rd day of every year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-BÃ©del Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ... Skylab 2 or SL-2 was the first human spaceflight mission to Skylab, the first U.S. orbital space station. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ...

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