Squirrel and Arrow - the first dogs in space who returned to Earth alive

Squirrel and Arrow are the first dogs in space. This statement has already become an axiom, although in reality there is a historical untruth. The first dog to climb into orbit was Laika. But she died because of overheating right in the spaceship. The first dogs in space, Belka and Strelka, not only perfectly transported the flight, but also returned to Earth alive.

In the beginning - flies

And yet, to be completely accurate, the first, who dared to send into space, were ... fly flies. They were launched into orbit in the distant 1935. But these living things could not help scientists. It was necessary to send a warm-blooded creature into orbit in order to observe how the organism behaves under weightlessness and significant overloads.

Strict requirements

Squirrel and Arrow - the first dogs in space, photos of which flew all the world's newspapers and magazines. But the army of the astronauts was very large, and before they were launched into orbit, they were all carefully selected.

The requirements were strict: the animal's body weight should not be more than 7 kilograms, and the growth should not exceed 35 centimeters. In addition, they should have a calm and balanced character, high endurance and extremely low anxiety.

Pedigree dogs for the role of cosmonauts were not suitable - not only that many of them had a pampered character, so they still differed a lot of legibility in food. After research, scientists have made such a decision - to send to the space mongrel stray dogs that are kept in nurseries. They met all the requirements.

So Belka and Strelka, the first dogs in space, though they did not have an excellent pedigree, but entered the history of world astronautics.

Beautiful appearance for astronauts

Considered before launching and such a fact. After four-legged cosmonauts would have to pose a lot before photographers and operators on the eve of the flight and especially after it. So the pleasant appearance also played a big role in the selection of candidates.

Benevolent, intelligent and friendly - this was how the first dogs in the Belka and Strelka space should look. Interesting facts from the story - instead of the Arrow to the flight they prepared a completely different dog. But it had a small curvature of the paws. And at the very last stage it was rejected only because of this small flaw.

The sad fate of Laika

Although many of us have postponed the consciousness that Belka and Strelka are the first dogs in space, they were not pioneers. The very first dog that flew into space was Laika. She, together with the manned vehicle, made 4 turns around the Globe. But on the fifth turn the animal could not withstand overloads and died from overheating. This fact was recorded by devices that transmitted information and the death of the "pilot" to the Mission Control Center. The satellite did not descend to Earth. He made another 2370 orbital turns, and then, after 5 months, burnt in the atmosphere.

They returned alive

Before the flight of Squirrels and Arrows, 18 dogs flew into space . All of them died - who is from stress, who from overheating, who from strong overloads. The first dogs in space Belka and Strelka, whose breed is popularly characterized by the accurate word "courtyard", returned to Earth alive. That's why they entered the world history as the first conquerors of the cosmos.

They became so popular that they were invited to various events, and thousands of people wanted to be photographed with this living legend. However, all warned that dogs can bite, if they show excessive interest. They were able not only to train well, but also to stand up for themselves.

Different tempers

Even during training, when dogs were sitting in centrifuges, they passed tests on shaker stands and in closed enclaves, the researchers noticed that the character of the "participants" of the duo is different.

The arrow was more cautious and wary, and Belka, it seemed, all was not at all. When they entered zero gravity, the Arrow kept looking around, as if not understanding what was happening to it.

The squirrel behaved naturally and showed curiosity. It spun around and barked cheerfully. By the way, at the moment of start, both dogs barked gaily. Scientists perceive this signal as a good sign. After Laika during the launch of the manned spacecraft howled, as if foreseeing its death.

Life after flight

In total, Belka and Strelka were in weightlessness for less than a day - 15 hours 44 minutes. It happened on August 19, 1960. They landed 10 kilometers from the planned point, but most importantly - they were still alive! By the way, the Squirrel and the Arrow were not alone in space. Together with them an entire living space went into orbit: several mice, insects, and also some plants, fungi and seeds.

Scientists carefully examined the animals not only before the flight, but also after it. Did not weightlessness affect their body, whether there are failures in some organs. I was also interested in the question of whether these dogs will be able to give offspring. And Strelka did not disappoint. Twice she brought offspring, and each puppy was worth its weight in gold. Many people on the Earth wanted to have dogs in the house whose parents had been in space. It is known that the General Secretary of the CPSU Nikita Khrushchev personally presented one of the puppies of Jacqueline Kennedy.

From doubles to heroes

In fact, the first to go into space on the ship-satellite "East" was planned to send Seagull and Chanterelle. Alas, the rocket with these four-legged astronauts exploded in the air, not getting into orbit.

Therefore, the launching of the Squirrels and Arrows into space was strictly classified. And only after a successful landing this historic fact, when the dogs returned alive to the Earth, was widely publicized. And the whole world knows today: Squirrel and Arrow are the first intelligent beings who have traveled to outer space and returned alive.