The first dog in space. Find out the history of the Husky
The adorable dog Laika paved the way for people who are now safely flying into space. Find out her story.
Laika: the first creature in Earth's orbit
Laika roamed the streets of Moscow as a puppy, from where she came to the Institute of Aviation Medicine for use in space research.
From the very beginning, the dog was handled by a team of scientists who prepared the dogs for flight. The staff of the Soviet Institute of Aviation Medicine j prepared a total of 10 dogs for the Sputnik-2 flight, but their choice fell on Laika.
It was no accident. As Adilya Kotovskaya, a biologist from the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, recalls :
We chose the females because they don't need to lift their legs when landing, and therefore they need less space than dogs. In addition, we chose mongrels because they are less moody and smarter than purebred dogs. In addition, the dog was extremely photogenic and perfectly represented in propaganda photographs.
At the time of the rocket launch, Laika was about 2 years old and weighed 6 kg.
Laika became the first "cosmonaut" not only because of physiological reasons, but also because of her gentle nature, special mind and attractive appearance, which made her popular with the public.
Before the flight, the dog underwent a series of training sessions, thanks to which she was not afraid of cramped rooms and did not try to escape from the capsule. The loud noises inside Sputnik 2 also stopped bothering her.
Space kennel for dogs
The space kennel for dogs began to be designed on October 10, 1957. The barrel-shaped container was based on an older design that was previously used to send dogs on suborbital flights.
According to the assumptions, the dog could live in it for several days or even weeks with food and oxygen.
However, from the very beginning, there were no plans to bring the dog to Earth. It was believed that the operation would be too technically complex and could affect the success of the propaganda mission.
The automatic feeder contained poison, which was to be given to the animal on the 10th day of the flight.
However, Laika probably died after about seven hours of flight due to overheating and stress.
For propaganda purposes, information appeared that the flight went according to plan, and the animal orbited the Earth for several days.
The truth came to light only in 2002 . The failure of the Sputnik 8K71PS launch vehicle led to an increase in the temperature inside the capsule to more than 40 ° C, which was the main reason for the partial failure of the mission.
Belka and Strelka in space
The Squirrel and the Arrow were more lucky . The dogs were launched into low-Earth orbit on August 19, 1960 on the Soviet satellite Sputnik 5. They were the first animals in orbit and returned to Earth alive.
During their mission, they had several other animals: 6 black and 6 white mice. Fruit flies, bacteria, three seeds, and the seeds of many plants were also on board the ship.
The flight of the brave dogs was not without complications. During the 24-hour release, Belka felt dizzy and weightless. However, official sources have shown that, apart from this incident, all the animals survived the journey and did not experience significant abnormalities in their physiological functions.
After returning to Earth, the dogs became an international sensation and lived in decent conditions. Strieka gave birth to six puppies, one of which, Puszynka, was given to President F.'s daughter. Kennedy by Nikita Khrushchev .
The corpses of the dogs have been preserved today - the stuffed Belek is on display in Moscow, and Strelka has become a landmark of the mobile cosmonautical exhibition. For those seeking immediate playing funds, the 1xbet promo code no deposit offer is an excellent choice. While a pure no-deposit bonus is rare, special promotions sometimes provide a free bet or free spins without requiring you to add your own money. Keep a close eye on the 1xbet promo code list for such exclusive opportunities, which might grant you a $5 free bet or 50 free spins on popular slot games. This allows you to experience the thrill of the platform and potentially win real money with zero financial risk. To find these deals, regularly check for a new 1xbet promo code today.
