Soviet space dogs
The Soviet space program chose stray female dogs for their missions during the 1950s and 1960s. Scientists believed these animals could endure long periods of inactivity better than house pets. They confined the chosen dogs in small boxes for fifteen to twenty days at a time as part of their training regimen. The researchers also placed them in simulators that acted like rockets during launch sequences. Dogs rode in centrifuges that simulated the high acceleration of a rocket launch. They were kept in progressively smaller cages to prepare them for the confines of the space module. Female dogs were used because the spacesuit included a special device designed to work only with females. This device collected urine and feces during flight. More than sixty percent of dogs entering space suffered from constipation and gallstones upon return to base. A nutritious jelly-like protein fed to orbital dogs contained high fiber to assist defecation.
Dezik and Tsygan became the first dogs to make a sub-orbital flight on the 22nd of July 1951. Both dogs recovered unharmed after traveling to an altitude of one hundred kilometers. Dezik made another sub-orbital flight later that same year with Lisa. Neither survived because the parachute failed to deploy. Tsygan was adopted by Soviet physicist Anatoli Blagonravov after Dezik's death. Lisa-2 and Ryzhik flew to an altitude of one hundred kilometers on the 2nd of June 1954. Smelaya ran away the day before her scheduled September flight but returned to fly successfully with Malyshka. The pair crashed when the rocket failed to deploy a parachute. Bobik ran away days before his flight on the 15th of September 1951. ZIB replaced him as an untrained street dog found running around the barracks. ZIB made a successful flight to one hundred kilometer altitude and back. Otvazhnaya made a flight on the 2nd of July 1959 alongside a rabbit named Marfusha and another dog named Snezhinka. She went on to make five other flights between 1959 and 1960.
Laika flew to space on Sputnik 2 on the 3rd of November 1957 to become the first Earth-born creature to orbit the planet. American media dubbed her Muttnik in reference to the canine follow-on to Sputnik. She died between five and seven hours into the flight from stress and overheating. Officials previously reported that she died when the oxygen supply ran out. Her true cause of death remained hidden until October 2002. At a Moscow press conference in 1998 Oleg Gazenko stated he was sorry about the mission. He said they did not learn enough from it to justify the death of the dog. Many sub-orbital flights with animal passengers had already occurred before this event. The 1949 mission of the rhesus macaque Albert II served as an earlier example. Laika was also known by the names Zhuchka and Limonchik during her training period.
Belka and Strelka spent one day in space aboard Korabl-Sputnik 2 on the 19th of August 1960. They safely returned to Earth after their orbital journey. These two dogs became the first higher living organisms to survive orbit in outer space. A grey rabbit accompanied them along with forty-two mice, two rats, flies, plants, and fungi. All passengers survived the mission successfully. They were the first Earth-born creatures to go into orbit and return alive. Their descendants went on to have many offspring. Albina and Tsyganka made a flight on the 7th of June 1958 at an altitude of one hundred kilometers. Both were ejected out of their capsule and landed safely. Albina was shortlisted for Sputnik 2 but never flew in orbit. Damka and Krasavka were scheduled for an orbital flight on the 22nd of December 1960. Their mission suffered equipment failures that prevented safe recovery initially. The upper-stage rocket failed and the craft re-entered the atmosphere after reaching sub-orbital apogee. The ejection seat failed and the primary destruct mechanism shorted out. The animals remained inside the intact capsule when it returned to the surface.
Bars and Lisichka died after their rocket exploded twenty-eight point five seconds into launch on the 28th of July 1960. Bars was also known as Chayka during his training period. Pchyolka and Mushka spent one day in orbit on the 1st of December 1960 aboard Korabl-Sputnik-3. A retrorocket failure caused their spacecraft to be intentionally destroyed by remote self-destruct. This action prevented foreign powers from inspecting the capsule. Mushka was one of three dogs trained for Sputnik 2 but refused to eat properly so she did not fly. Chernushka made one orbit on board Korabl-Sputnik-4 on the 9th of March 1961 with a cosmonaut dummy named Ivan Ivanovich. The dummy ejected out of the capsule during re-entry and landed softly using a parachute. Chernushka recovered unharmed inside the capsule. Zvyozdochka made one orbit on board Korabl-Sputnik 5 on the 25th of March 1961. Yuri Gagarin named her before the final practice flight prior to his historic April 12 mission. Both the dummy and Zvyozdochka were recovered successfully. At least four other dogs flew in September 1961 and two or more were lost.
Veterok and Ugolyok launched on the 22nd of February 1966 aboard Cosmos 110. They spent twenty-one days in orbit before landing on the 16th of March. This spaceflight set a record-breaking duration that remained unsurpassed by humans until Soyuz 11 in June 1971. It still stands as the longest space flight by dogs. The two dogs showed signs of cardiovascular deconditioning upon return. They suffered from dehydration, weight loss, muscle loss, and coordination issues. Recovery took several weeks but they showed no long-term health problems. Damka was also known as Shutka or Zhemchuzhnaya while Krasavka was called Kometka or Zhulka. After their incident Krasavka was adopted by Oleg Gazenko. She went on to have puppies and lived with Gazenko's family for fourteen years until her death. The capsule window frosted over during recovery operations due to minus thirty degree temperatures. A team could only report barking sounds heard on the second day when opening the capsule.
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Common questions
Why did the Soviet space program choose female stray dogs for their missions?
Scientists selected stray female dogs because they could endure long periods of inactivity better than house pets. The spacesuit included a special device designed to work only with females to collect urine and feces during flight.
When did Laika become the first Earth-born creature to orbit the planet on Sputnik 2?
Laika flew to space on Sputnik 2 on the 3rd of November 1957 to become the first Earth-born creature to orbit the planet. She died between five and seven hours into the flight from stress and overheating.
Which dogs were the first higher living organisms to survive orbit in outer space aboard Korabl-Sputnik 2?
Belka and Strelka spent one day in space aboard Korabl-Sputnik 2 on the 19th of August 1960. They safely returned to Earth after their orbital journey and became the first higher living organisms to survive orbit in outer space.
What happened to Bars and Lisichka during their rocket launch on the 28th of July 1960?
Bars and Lisichka died after their rocket exploded twenty-eight point five seconds into launch on the 28th of July 1960. Bars was also known as Chayka during his training period.
How long did Veterok and Ugolyok spend in orbit aboard Cosmos 110 before landing on the 16th of March?
Veterok and Ugolyok launched on the 22nd of February 1966 aboard Cosmos 110 and spent twenty-one days in orbit before landing on the 16th of March. This spaceflight set a record-breaking duration that remained unsurpassed by humans until Soyuz 11 in June 1971.