Korabl-Sputnik 2

Korabl-Sputnik 2, also known as Sputnik 5 in the West, was a Soviet artificial satellite. It was the third test flight of the Vostok spacecraft. This important mission was the first to send animals into orbit and bring them safely back to Earth. The animals on board were two Soviet space dogs, named Belka and Strelka.

The spacecraft was launched on 19 August 1960. This successful flight helped prepare the way for the first human to orbit the Earth. Less than eight months later, Vostok 1 made history by sending a person into space for the first time.

Background

Korabl-Sputnik 2 was the second try to send a space capsule with dogs inside. The first try on July 28 had dogs named Bars and Lisichka, but it did not work. There was a fire in one of the rocket’s engines, and the rocket broke apart shortly after takeoff. The capsule fell back to the ground, and sadly, the dogs did not survive. This problem helped scientists learn how to make space travel safer for future missions. It happened just before another big problem in the US space program.

Launch

Korabl-Sputnik 2 was launched on 19 August 1960 using a Vostok-L carrier rocket. It carried two dogs named Belka and Strelka, along with mice, rats, plants, and a television camera. After flying for twenty-five hours, the spacecraft landed safely on 20 August. All the animals returned unharmed, and later, Strelka had puppies. One of these puppies, named Pushinka, was given to Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady of the United States, as a gift from the Soviet Union.