How astronaut dogs became heroes

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Two mongrels near Moscow paved the way for man into space. 60 years ago, on August 19, 1960, the world realized that very little remained until the greatest technological breakthrough in human history. Two living beings have spent more than a day in space, having made 17 orbits. And most importantly, they returned to Earth safe and sound. Their names were Belka and Strelka, they were of the simplest origin, but they were the first to see the Earth from space. Izvestia remembers the heroic mongrels - and those people who made their flight possible.

The names of these noble mongrels near Moscow were on the lips of the whole world. And in our time, almost everyone knows Belka and Strelka - "the first space travelers". Songs, cartoons, computer games - all this has become a continuation of the well-deserved fame of four-legged astronauts.

Without them, the conquest of space would have remained a plot for science fiction books. Moreover, it was the experiment with dogs that predetermined the victory of the Soviet Union in the "space race" with the United States. After the successful flight of Belka and Strelka, it was hard to doubt that the first manned space flight would be made by a Soviet pilot - as Konstantin Tsiolkovsky had predicted in his time.

Flight preparation

The launch of the first artificial Earth satellite in October 1957 marked the beginning of the space age. But scientists were still not sure whether a living organism would survive in orbit. How will radiation, weightlessness and other factors affect it? There was only one way out - to use experimental animals for research. The leaders of the Soviet space project, unlike the Americans at the time, preferred dogs to monkeys. And this choice turned out to be correct.

There were many candidates. In the final group of applicants for the flight, there were twelve mongrels, the most hardy and obedient. From puppyhood they were able to fight for life - much more stubborn than purebred spoiled dogs. In flight, this quality could be decisive. The males were excluded immediately, due to the peculiarities of physiology, it was impossible to prepare a reliable sewage disposal device for them. And the trip had to be as comfortable as possible - with the observance of the rules of hygiene.

Space dogs. From left to right: Belka, Zvezdochka, Chernushka and Strelka

The main criteria were as follows: weight no more than 6 kg, height - up to 35–37 cm, age - from two to five years, finally, light color so that the dogs could be better seen on monitors. The dogs were carefully examined by doctors of various specialties. Strenuous tests followed on a vibrating table and a centrifuge - in these, as the astronauts joked, "vestibule apparatus." Then, together with the dogs, they rehearsed the flight, taught them to spend the whole day in chains of wires, almost in a chained state.

Nice faces were also desirable - after all, dogs, in case of a successful flight, were to become almost movie stars. It was even decided to choose suitable nicknames for them. For example, Belka and Strelka were called differently before preparation for the flight - Albina and Marquis. But Belka and Strelka - it sounded much more effective and more Soviet-style. I immediately remembered one of the famous film heroines Lyubov Orlova - the letter carrier Strelka from the film "Volga-Volga" … So they remained in history.

It is believed that the new names of the dogs were given by Marshal Mitrofan Nedelin, the chief rocket officer of the Soviet Union. Everyone - both the military and the scientists - liked that the names of the "space sisters" were rhymed. This tandem is remembered from the first mention in the press. In any language, these names sounded smart and became a successful brand.

The squirrel showed the best results in training, it turned out to be a born leader. The arrow was slightly inferior to her, but also passed all the tests with honor. Both dogs were about two and a half years old.

Rescue system

Belka and Strelka were originally considered to be understudies of two other dogs, Chaika and Chaika. But the flight of the first "dog crew" turned into a tragedy.

Space dogs Chaika and Seagull

The chanterelle was the Queen's favorite. Companions saw and heard that before the start, he hugged her and whispered: "I really want you to come back." But 19 seconds after the launch, the first stage block collapsed, the rocket exploded, and with it the spaceship with the dogs. It became clear that an emergency rescue system for astronauts (whether they be dogs or people in the future) should be considered not only in flight, but also at the launch stage. Experience has shown that launch and landing are the most dangerous stages of space flight.

During the development of the Sputnik-5 project, whose passengers were Belka and Strelka, the designers developed a special capsule for rescue during takeoff. She, fortunately, was not useful. The rocket did not fail, and the dogs reached orbit in the normal mode. By the way, a similar emergency system is still installed on all Soyuz missiles.

Rats on the ship

This flight was not just a triumphal and "exemplary" and certainly not a "circus act". First of all, it was a scientific breakthrough. Not only Belka and Strelka went into orbit that morning. They were sort of expedition commanders. Together with them in the ejected part of the ship, a "merry company" settled down. 12 mice, insects, plants, fungal crops, seeds of corn, wheat, peas, onions and even different types of microbes in special containers. All of them were supposed to help find a preliminary answer to the main question: how the human body will behave in space. There were also human skin cells in the "baggage". Scientists needed to establish how cosmic radiation affects the skin.

Belka and Strelka in the Sputnik-5 spacecraft

Another 28 mice and two white rats had to sacrifice themselves for the sake of science. They were placed outside the lander and had no chance of surviving. The rodents remained in orbit. But the dogs in flight felt comfortable enough. The dogs were protected from radiation by special casing of the containers.

The girlfriends were seen off on a one-day flight. But supplies of oxygen and food were calculated for eight days - in case the ship did not manage to get out of orbit in time. Everything was done in order to save them in an emergency situation and return them to Earth.

Living breath in space

For the first time in the history of science, telemetric observation of the "crew" was established on a spacecraft. The infernal "roar of the cosmodrome" almost did not frighten the dogs. They were accustomed to noise, shaking, and overload. Moscow (or rather, Podlipki, the future city of Korolev) meticulously watched Belka and Strelka. During takeoff, the dogs' pulse increased, but when Sputnik-5 gained altitude and went into orbit, they calmed down. For the first time people heard living breath in space! During the first orbit, the travelers held themselves perfectly. The dogs were then automatically fed with tube feed. They ate. The toilet also worked well.

The arrow transferred the flight flawlessly. The squirrel, having withstood several turns, became noticeably disturbed, began to bark, wanted to get rid of the wires … But in the end she calmed down - apparently, she remembered earthly training. Pulse, breathing, heart sounds - everything was recorded by medical equipment, which immediately gave information to the Earth.

Doctors remove experimental dogs from the cockpit of the head of a geophysical rocket at the landing site

Finally, landing. Deserted Kazakh steppe. Parachutes, a sharp push on the ground - and here they are at home. The experienced mongrels did not receive serious injuries during landing. They spent 25 hours in orbit, sustained 17 orbits around the Earth, but most importantly, they returned! They were the first in the world to return from space orbit safe and sound.

“On August 20, the descent vehicle with animals on board landed safely in the specified area,” Yuri Levitan's baritone sounded on the radio. He was echoed by speakers in dozens of languages of the world … It was a worldwide sensation, the second breakthrough of this level after the launch of the satellite.

Star dogs

The experiment showed that space is not as deadly for a living organism as pessimists assumed. And the heroic mongrels were given a real big press conference shortly after the flight. Belka and Strelka were greeted there with rapturous applause. Loud fame came to them - they became "star dogs" for the whole world. Their images were published on posters, envelopes and postage stamps, badges and postcards.

Many were interested in what happened to Belka and Strelka next? Fortunately, no dramas happened. At the Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine, Belka and Strelka were treated as honored heroes. Less than a year after the space flight - and Belka gave birth to puppies, six, quite healthy! Squirrel's daughter, named Fluff, went overseas as a gift to the family of John F. Kennedy. Fluffy did not suffer from any deviations and became a real favorite of the president's daughter Caroline. A year has passed - and Pushinka also brought offspring, four funny puppies. John F. Kennedy called them pupniks, combining the two words pup (puppy) and sputnik.

Stuffed Belka and Strelka in the Museum of Cosmonautics at the All-Russian Exhibition Center

And Belka and Strelka did not leave their homeland, they lived happily ever after, surrounded by human love. Nowadays, their stuffed animals remain the most popular exhibits of the Moscow Museum of Cosmonautics.

Someday - perhaps sooner than we think - man will go to another planet. The first permanent base will be created there. And then in space we will again need loyal friends serving people on Earth. Dogs will be needed. And they won't fail again.