Laika was the pioneer, but we must not forget that the first creatures to return alive from space were dogs. Belka and Strelka. Today, half a century ago, these little heroines paved the way for the future followers of Yuri Gagarin. On August 19, 1960, the Soviet dogs Belka and Strelka paved the way for the first human astronauts to go into space, proving to the world that living things can make spaceflight and survive in orbit.
In this article we are going to tell you about the exploits of Belka and Strelka and how space flight developed.
Belka and Strelka
Strelka ("Little Arrow") and Belka ("Squirrel"), like the other Soviet canine cosmonauts under the command of Vladimir Yazdovski, were underweight at just 6 kilos. Despite its delicacy, its mission was crucial: to verify the suitability of the Vostok spacecraft for the first manned flight in history.
Although they were the protagonists of this mission, they did not fight alone. Inside the Vostok 1K (Korabl-Sputnik 2), also 12 rats, fungi, plants, microbes, and even fragments of human skin were found on the ejection seat. Outside the seat, but inside the pressurized spherical capsule, were twelve other mice and two rats. The ship had been converted into a small 4,6 ton ark.
Strelka and Belka could suffer the same fate as Lisichka and Chayka, the two dogs that died in the Korabl-Sputnik 1 mission -the first Vostok 1K-. On July 28, 1960, 19 seconds after launch, the 8K72 rocket caught fire in one of the first stage G-block combustion chambers. As a result, the transmitter lost its course and it disintegrated 28,5 seconds after liftoff, killing both animals. Even chief engineer Sergei Korolev himself was devastated by the loss. It was common for Korolev to play with Lisichka at the cosmodrome before launch. The destruction of Korabl-Sputnik 1 forced the introduction of ejection seats as an escape system during launches.
Launch of Belka and Strelka
On August 19, 1960, at 11:44 Moscow time, our protagonists took off from Baikonur into space, where they were supposed to spend the whole day. In the West, the mission was later named Sputnik 5, although the official Soviet designation was Korabl-Sputnik 2 ("Satellite Ship"), a generic name intended to hide its true nature.
The ground controllers were able to follow the adventures of the dog thanks to two television cameras designed by the NII-380 Institute. At first, the handler watched in horror as the dog lay motionless in zero gravity, fearing the worst. Fortunately, they soon began to wake up, although they soon began to bark and act snappishly. Despite the training, the animals repeatedly tried to free themselves from the harness and Belka vomited on the fourth lap.
As a general rule, it was decided to limit Gagarin's flight time to one orbit, one and a half hours, because there were many unknowns about the effects of weightlessness on the human body. After one day and two hours in space, the Korabl-Sputnik 2 capsule successfully re-entered Earth's atmosphere and the dogs landed safely in their ejection seats in the Orsk region of Kazakhstan. Korabl-Sputnik 2 is the first ship to return from space with a living being on board.
The feat of these dogs
These dogs became real stars after their achievements. At a conference in Vienna, Khrushchev gave Jacqueline Kennedy a Strelka puppy. The dog, named Pushinka, was raised and lived in the White House, but before being investigated by the US Secret Service, security services X-rayed the dog several times, fearing that the Soviets had hidden a bug or some kind of malicious device inside it. Even so, Pushenka had several puppies with Kennedy's other dog, Charlie. Today, Belka and Strelka can be seen in the Moscow Museum of Cosmonautics.
Belka and Strelka were the first batch, but between August 1960 and March 1961, six dogs would be assigned to different space missions, albeit with different luck. On December 1, the Korabl-Sputnik 3 took off with the dogs Pchelka and Mushka. After successfully completing your mission, ground control destroyed the craft after confirming that the capsule would land outside the Soviet Union. The dogs Kometa and Shutka were also killed during the launch of the last ship of the 1K series on December 22.
social repercussions
His successful safe return from his one-day space mission filled millions of people around the world with joy. The feat of Belka and Strelka became a ray of hope in the midst of the Cold War, demonstrating that the limits of space exploration knew no borders or species. Humanity was inspired by her bravery and determination, finding a unique emotional connection in her story.
The smiling faces of Belka and Strelka multiplied in photographs, postage stamps and toys in all corners of the planet. These two furry ambassadors became ambassadors of the spirit of overcoming and universal friendship. His image broke language and cultural barriers, serving as a symbol of unity in a time of division.
The Belka and Strelka missions opened the door to new scientific and technological research. Their valuable biological data helped scientists better understand the effects of weightlessness on living beings, paving the way for future manned space missions and laying the foundation for human space exploration. For more information on other historic events in space, you can visit the possible threat of a solar storm.
The legacy of Belka and Strelka transcended beyond spacereaching future generations. They inspired many young people to pursue their scientific dreams and explore the mysteries of the universe. Even today, the name of Belka and Strelka lives on in the collective memory.
