Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Courtesy: Roscosmos

Sixty years ago today, on August 19, 1960 — Korabl-Sputnik 2 — a prototype of the Vostok piloted spacecraft, was launched into Earth orbit, with the dogs Belka and Strelka on board. This was the first orbital flight of living beings with a successful return to Earth.

Courtesy: Roscosmos

Also onboard were mice, insects, plants, fungal crops, seeds, microbes and other biological objects. This was the first orbital flight of living beings with a successful return to Earth.

Canine expedition

In celebrating the occasion, Russia’s Roscosmos explains that Sergei Pavlovich Korolev – a key leader in Soviet space development, personally supervised the preparation of the expedition.

For the flight, a dozen dogs were on the candidate list: weight – up to 13 pounds (6 kilograms), height – up to 35 centimeters, age – from two to six years, and light in color.

Courtesy: Roscosmos

Outbreds Belka and Strelka proved to be the best in the group.

Life support test

The purpose of the mission was to study the effect of space flight on living organisms, as well as to work out spacecraft life support systems and reentry to Earth.

The flight lasted more than 25 hours, during which time the ship made 17 complete revolutions around the Earth.

Pushinka, Russian for “Fluffy,” was a “pupnik” of Strelka.
Credit: Presidential Pet Museum

A “pupnik” gift

After the flight, the dogs lived in the Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine, from where they were showcased in kindergartens and schools.

A few months later Strelka gave birth to six healthy puppies.

One of them was presented to the wife of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline. Pushinka, Russian for “Fluffy,” was a “pupnik” of Strelka.

Belka and Strelka lived to a ripe old age and died a natural death. The journey of the pair of dogs made it possible to move forward on the possibility of human spaceflight around the Earth – the milestone making mission of Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961.