First live animals launched on round trip to SpaceIn 1960, Sputnik 5 was launched into Earth orbit, carrying two dogs named Belka (Squirrel) and Strelka (Little Arrow), along with 40 mice, 2 rats and a variety of plants, beginning a safe round trip into Space, after which they become the first living organisms to return space. After a day in orbit, the spaceship's retrorocket was fired and the landing capsule returned to Earth on 20 Aug 1960. Earlier, on 3 Nov 1957, the USSR launched Sputnik 2, with a stray Siberian husky, Laika ("Barker"). By design, it did not return to Earth; Laika died in space a few days later. On 12 Apr 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space.« |
){kind=link}