The Remarkable Return: The First Animal To Return Alive From Space

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 Introduction

Imagine being launched in an unknown place while being inside a small capsule, anyone who has gone there before has never returned from there, for some this would be just a piece of science fiction, but for two dogs this was the reality of their life. 

Those two brave dogs were Belka and Strelka, they were the first animals to go and return from space alive. In this post we will let you know about the mission which changed the history of human space exploration. We will cover topics from their training of Belka and Strelka to return to earth. So let’s dive right in.

Table of Content


Belka and Strelka

Belka and Strelka were two stray dogs selected by the Soviet Union space program in the early 1960’s. Belka and Strelka accompanied by 2 rats, 42 mice, grey rabbit, flies and several plants and fungi were launched in orbit of earth in the Sputnik 5 spacecraft, becoming the first animal to return from space. Belka and Strelka were soviet space dogs, both were female dogs with age between 2 to three years.

Belka and Strelka, Image source : Reddit

Contribution in space exploration

This mission of Sputnik 5 marked a significant milestone in the history of space exploration. On August 19 1960 Sputnik 5 was launched which carried Belka and Strelka, Belka and Strelka were the first animals to orbit earth and return back safely, this provided an idea that an organism can handle the pressure of space travel.

This paved a road to human spaceflight and inspired many scientists to think beyond what they thought was possible. The data gathered from the mission helped engineers and scientists to improve the design and safety of spacecraft. Belka and strelka are still remembered as pioneer heroes of the space race.

Early life

Selection for mission

Soviet Union space programs were mainly selecting dogs for their program as they thought that dogs were very adaptable to various conditions as they have to face various challenges like cold weather or hunger. They had another reason for choosing a dog, was that a dog can be trained easily and were very loyal to humans due to which dogs were selected for the mission.

Belka and Strelka selected for mission, Image source : BBC


Special department was formed and asked to find dogs fitting in all the criteria, they wanted a female specimen, with age 2-6 years and of weight under 6 kilograms and height below 35 years. After that various medical, physical and behaviour tests were taken to find out real gems present in them.

Belka and Strelka both were the lucky pair who were finalised for the mission. Belka was appointed as the leader as she was more active and proved herself in each test. She was the first to approach the food bowl and also bark in an emergency.

Training and preparation

After selection Belka and Strelka went under various training to be prepared for space travel. They were trained to withstand various stresses in space, which included high acceleration, weightlessness, vibration of launch and re-entry in the earth 's atmosphere.

They were trained and given a specific diet for handling pressure of space, along with this Belka and Strelka were subjected to various centrifuge tests, these tests simulated the high G force of launch and reentry of space. They were subjected to loud noise and high light and vibration to simulate the atmosphere of a spacecraft.

A special suit was created and outfitted by belka and strelka, the suit kept them comfortable and alive during the mission. The suit had a temperature control and ventilation system to regulate body temperature and oxygen supply to Belka and Strelka.

Space mission

Sputnik 5

Sputnik 5 was a spacecraft created by the Soviet Union, the main objective of the mission was to check whether animals can survive the stress of zero gravity. The sputnik 5 rocket was launched on 19 August 1960 it was launched from present day Kazakhstan.

Sputnik 5, Image source : Space race


Sputnik 5 was carried by the R-7 semyorka rocket, this rocket was especially designed for space exploration. And Yuri Gagarin, the first human to travel in space, also travelled in the same rocket after a few months. The sputnik 5 was sent to orbit the earth and return back to earth safely.

Launch of Rocket

On 19 august 1960, the sputnik was successfully launched, during the takeoff belka and strelka were little tensed and there heart rate and breathing rates had increased, but as the sputnik 5 was settled in the orbit they were normal as before.

The sputnik 5 took around 17 revolutions around the earth and spent 27 hours orbiting the earth. During the flight after settling in orbit they were provided Russian meat and kholodets(gelatin dish) for food. The food tube was present below their seat when they were finished with their food and went under their seat.

Challenges faced during mission

During the mission everything went well, there were no serious consequences during the mission except one. When the spacecraft was covering its 4th revolution around the earth Belka was agitated and tried to wriggle around, her vitals were normal, and the reason is still not fully understood.

Belka, Image source : Wikipedia

It is thought that due to sudden exposure to zero gravity caused her to behave so differently. As our bodies are made and designed to function on earth, gravitation. It is thought that this caused belka motion sickness or disorientation and made her uncomfortable during the mission.

Successful return of spacecraft

After being 27 hours in space and completing 17 rounds around the earth, the spacecraft started returning back to earth. This is thought to be the most critical part of any spacecraft journey as while returning the space shuttle travels with extremely high speed and faces tremendous heat during reentering the atmosphere.

The space shuttle was coated with a heat shield made of special material, which dissipates the heat so that the space shuttle and animals inside stay safe. Another challenge was animals' reaction to the sudden change of gravity, from zero gravity to earth’s gravity.

Despite all such challenges the space shuttle along with its occupants returned safely back to earth. The parachute opened in time, to slow down the speed of space shuttle to ensure safe landing. A rescue team was sent to find where the spacecraft had fallen and animals were completely fine.

Furture life

After returning back to earth, they became national heroes of soviet union. They were celebrated as the symbol of achievement in space exploration and space travel. They were treated as celebrities by their various posters, marquees, calendars, banners etc. After years they were given retirement from the soviet space program and sent to different places.

Belka and Strelka lifted by an Man, Image source : Kuriositas


Belka was sent to live in a zoo in Moscow, she was treated there as loyalty, she was offered a special enclosure, and her former handler paid a daily visit to her. Strelka was sent to the high ranking officer, in the soviet government, they were known for being an animal lover, and she became part of their family.

Mission impact

After the mission of sputnik 5 many advancements were made in the spacecraft system, the data acquired from the mission helped to improve the design and safety of the spacecraft. More advanced training was given to the further participants, so that nobody faced any problem during the space mission. After a few months only Yuri gagarin was also sent into space and he became the first human to travel in space.

This mission also showed the risk which could occur during landing, thus helping engineers and scientists to create a more safe and no risk design. This also raised a question whether animals should be sent to space for space missions as a minor mistake can cause a loss of life.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the story of belka and strelka is a remarkable mission which is still remembered for its success, Belka and strelka both became the first animal to go to space and return alive. The sputnik 5 mission helped scientists and engineer's in many ways to improve the spacecraft design.

The mission also improved the understanding of the effect of zero gravity on organisms and also provided data, how organisms react to pressure in space. The mission increased the popularity of the Soviet Union, and also paved a road for Yuri Gagarin's mission.

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