Laika dog in space 1957. Laika: the tragic story of an astronaut dog. What is the meaning of flight

Birthday number 9 symbolizes a strong personality with potential intelligence, capable of high development. Here, success is given by the world of art and the arts, artistic talent and creative, creative power.

It is better for such people to immediately abandon the professions of a businessman, metallurgist, or military man. Their problem often lies in realizing their talents and abilities and choosing the right path in life.

The number 9 is often considered the main number of numerology, with a special, sometimes even sacred meaning. This is due to the fact that when multiplied by any number, nine reproduces itself. For example, 9 x 4 = 36 => 3 + 6 = 9. These people are capable of the best feelings towards loved ones. But they often find themselves in all sorts of unpleasant situations.

Lucky day of the week for number 9 is Friday.

Your planet is Neptune.

Advice: Great inventors, discoverers of new things, and musicians are born under this birthday number. It all depends on your abilities and desires. Both of these factors should be combined and directed towards one goal - then success is guaranteed.

Important: Love for people, striving for excellence.
Nine gives a person spiritual activity and promotes higher mental activity.

A Nine person is prone to religious revelations, cosmic contacts, synthetic sciences, and self-education. Patron of composers and musicians, sailors and poets, psychologists and hypnotists.

The fate of such a person can be changeable and fickle. Among the people of Nine there are many revolutionaries, drug addicts and alcoholics.

Love and sex:

These people give themselves completely to love and passionately desire to be loved. Their thirst for love is so great that they are ready to do anything for it, even humiliation.

Great importance is attached to the paraphernalia of romantic courtship. At the same time, they quickly lose interest in the object of their attraction if he (or she) does not succumb to temptation for a long time.

In many cases, marriage with these people is successful, if only because they are very sexy people. They take the issue of morality seriously. At some stage, these people may want to reconsider the marriage relationship, even if the family is happy and there is love between the spouses.

They will want to know why they love each other. After this, they will wish to see confirmation of love every day.

Birth number for a woman

Birth number 9 for a woman An extraordinary, elusive woman, always full of interesting ideas, always on the move. Prefers to communicate with educated and intelligent people, creative individuals whose interests lie in the field of philosophy, culture and art. She likes to go with her friend to all kinds of exhibitions and take part in public, social or political life. She expects a sea of ​​flowers and gifts from fans. A candlelight dinner in a formal setting has an intoxicating effect on her and leads to the creation of a lasting union. In relationships with a partner, he always strives to teach or demonstrate knowledge. She needs beauty, and she herself wants to be beautiful in every way. He takes care of his appearance, but at home he allows himself to dress in anything. She must be loved without regard to conventions. She hates possessive instincts and acquisitiveness in all its forms. She enjoys an informal lifestyle and the company of many friends. Always unpredictable. Has a tendency to get involved with men she doesn't really need. She can dissolve in love for her chosen one, give herself completely to him, or never know what love is and whether it was love. She can have a good long-term relationship with a partner who is undemanding to her and creates material comfort and a sense of freedom for her.

Birth number for a man

Birth number 9 for a man This is an intellectual, romantic, very erudite man. He is sociable, frank, lives with an open heart. Intellectual and spiritual communication becomes the main thing in relationships with him. He strives for people who have decided, who have found their self-expression. Strictly adheres to his beliefs; ideological differences can become an insurmountable obstacle in relationships. Love is something that happens more in his head than in his heart. He tries to control his own and his partner’s feelings with his mind. Makes high demands on his chosen one. She carefully plans meetings, thinking through all the details, and tries to use seduction methods that were used back in the 18th century. Values ​​respect and honesty with each other. Usually confident in his correctness and the high quality of his knowledge. His main problem is separation from reality and lack of restraint. He tends to avoid real intimacy in intimate relationships. It is important for him to maintain his freedom and the feeling that he belongs only to himself. Believes that sex is a physical continuation of intellectual communication between the sexes. Love is most often found while traveling. He is very sensitive, and can sacrifice his own needs for the sake of his partner. A relationship with him can turn into a delightful romance, but he needs to learn to see a real person in his woman.

Birth number 3

People born on this date are ambitious and aggressive. They always strive to rise above those around them and never agree to a subordinate position. They love power, implement their ideas with colossal strength and energy, and do not tolerate any doubts or obstacles from others when implementing their plans. Being disciplined, they demand the same from others, which is why they become conscientious commanders. They are persistent and do not give up without a fight until they have spent all their strength; they give up very reluctantly. They have great physical strength and endurance.

They have little time for love and romance. In love they are hunters: the object of their passion must obey them, it must not surpass them. Their partner is their victim. Most often, after physically satisfying sexual needs, they lose interest in their partner.

They do not think about the consequences of their leadership, although they are not quarrelsome by nature, they are nevertheless capable of making quite a lot of enemies by intolerance towards the less energetic and weak. They are hot-tempered and proud. They do not like to be obligated to others.

These people must learn to moderate their temper and intolerance. By controlling their negative traits, they become outstanding individuals and achieve success.
They should pay attention to their joints and skin.

Pythagorean square or psychomatrix

The qualities listed in the cells of the square can be strong, average, weak or absent, it all depends on the number of numbers in the cell.

Decoding the Pythagorean Square (cells of the square)

Character, willpower - 4

Energy, charisma - 2

Cognition, creativity - 2

Health, beauty - 0

Logic, intuition - 1

Hard work, skill - 0

Luck, luck - 2

Sense of duty - 0

Memory, mind - 2

Decoding the Pythagorean Square (rows, columns and diagonals of the square)

The higher the value, the more pronounced the quality.

Self-esteem (column “1-2-3”) - 8

Making money (column “4-5-6”) - 1

Talent potential (column “7-8-9”) - 4

Determination (line “1-4-7”) - 6

Family (line “2-5-8”) - 3

Stability (line “3-6-9”) - 4

Spiritual potential (diagonal “1-5-9”) - 7

Temperament (diagonal “3-5-7”) - 5

Chinese zodiac sign Rooster

Every 2 years the Element of the year changes (fire, earth, metal, water, wood). The Chinese astrological system divides years into active, stormy (Yang) and passive, calm (Yin).

You Rooster elements Fire of the year Yin

Birth hours

24 hours correspond to the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac. The sign of the Chinese horoscope of birth corresponds to the time of birth, so it is very important to know the exact time of birth; it has a strong impact on a person’s character. It is argued that by looking at your birth horoscope you can accurately determine the characteristics of your character.

The most striking manifestation of the qualities of the hour of birth will occur if the symbol of the hour of birth coincides with the symbol of the year. For example, a person born in the year and hour of the Horse will display the maximum qualities prescribed for this sign.

• Rat – 23:00 – 01:00
• Bull – 1:00 – 3:00
• Tiger – 3:00 – 5:00
• Rabbit – 5:00 – 7:00
• Dragon – 7:00 – 9:00
• Snake – 09:00 – 11:00
• Horse – 11:00 – 13:00
• Goat – 13:00 – 15:00
• Monkey – 15:00 – 17:00
• Rooster – 17:00 – 19:00
• Dog – 19:00 – 21:00
• Pig – 21:00 – 23:00

European zodiac sign Scorpio

Dates: 2013-10-24 -2013-11-22

The four Elements and their Signs are distributed as follows: Fire(Aries, Leo and Sagittarius), Earth(Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn), Air(Gemini, Libra and Aquarius) and Water(Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces). Since the elements help to describe the main character traits of a person, by including them in our horoscope, they help to form a more complete picture of a particular person.

Features of this element are cold and humidity, metaphysical sensitivity, feeling, perception. There are 3 signs of this quality in the Zodiac - a water trine (triangle): Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. The Water trine is considered the trine of feelings and sensations. Principle: internal constancy despite external variability. Water is emotions, inner peace, preservation, memory. She is plastic, changeable, secretive. Gives such qualities as uncertainty, daydreaming, imaginative thinking, gentleness of manifestation. In the body, it slows down metabolism, controls fluids, and the work of the endocrine glands.
People whose horoscopes express the element of Water have a phlegmatic temperament. These people have great sensitivity, are very receptive and impressionable, thinking, living more of an internal life than an external one. People of the Water trine are usually contemplative, thinking both about their own good and the good of their loved ones, however, at times they can be indifferent, lethargic, and lazy, with the exception of people of the Scorpio sign. Their external manifestation of feelings is not as pronounced as that of representatives of the Fire or Air trigons, but they experience internal feelings with great strength and depth.
For people of the Water trine, efficiency, practicality, sobriety of thought, and objectivity are not their strong points, but they are not short of imagination, they have a rich and vivid imagination, great internal and external strength, especially among Scorpios.
People of the water trigon, thanks to the richness of their inner world and sophistication of perception, achieve the greatest success in professions related to the world of arts, they especially shine as artists and performing musicians. Water signs can also be excellent workers in areas related to service and nutrition. And Scorpios are also excellent detectives due to their exquisite intuition.
The plans and moods of people of the Water trine can change both from external circumstances and from the internal state of the soul. A minor detail, sometimes not even tracked by consciousness, can radically change their state of mind, which can lead to a complete loss of interest either in the matter or in the partner.
People of the element of Water have great spiritual sophistication, are kind, polite, courteous, very attractive and attractive. They are usually not aggressive, with the exception of Scorpio.
Of the signs of the Water trine, Scorpio is the strongest in body and spirit, the most meaningful, the most aggressive, not susceptible to unwanted influence from the outside and showing strong resistance to everything with which his soul does not agree. His patience, endurance, tenacity and perseverance are simply amazing.
The weakest of the zodiac signs of the Water trine is Pisces. The middle ground between firmness and instability is occupied by the third sign of this trine - Cancer. Although his spiritual sphere is also very receptive and impressionable, he is distinguished by noticeable perseverance, endurance and purposefulness, therefore, of all the water signs, it is Cancer who more often than others achieves success in life.
The feelings of all three signs of the Water trine are approximately equally strong and, as a rule, prevail over the mind. These people are always ready to make self-sacrifice for the good of a loved one, as they always experience deep and pure feelings towards their loved ones. If they are not appreciated, they leave their partner forever, which is the real drama of life for them. They are looking for a partner who is worthy of them. Love and marriage are of paramount importance in life for them, especially for women.
An excessive tendency towards daydreaming and fantasies, too vivid an imagination can lead to internal contradiction - a collision of their illusions with reality. If a person does not see a way out of this state, depression, addiction to alcohol, drugs, other stimulants, and even mental illness may occur.

Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius. A fixed cross is a cross of evolution, stability and stability, accumulation, concentration of development. He uses the experience of the past. It gives stability, hardness, strength, durability, stability. A person in whose horoscope the Sun, Moon or most of the personal planets are in fixed signs is distinguished by conservatism, inner calm, steadfastness, perseverance, perseverance, patience, endurance, and prudence. He fiercely resists what they try to impose on him, and is able to fight back anyone. Nothing irritates him more than the need to change something, no matter what area of ​​his life it concerns. He loves certainty, consistency, and requires guarantees of reliability in order to be protected from any surprise.
Although he does not have sharp impulses or ease in making decisions that are inherent in other signs, he is distinguished by constancy of opinions, stability in his habits and life positions. He is attached to his work, he can work tirelessly, “until he drops.” He is also constant in his attachments to friends and loved ones, holding tightly and steadfastly to someone or something, be it material value, social status, a faithful friend, a devoted like-minded person or a close and loved one. People of the Fixed Cross are faithful, devoted and reliable; they are knights of their word. You can always rely on their promises. But you only have to deceive them once, and their trust is lost, maybe even forever. People with a fixed cross have strongly expressed desires and passions, they act only from their own motives and always rely on their own instincts. Their feelings, likes and dislikes are unshakable and unshakable. Adversity, failures and blows of fate do not bend them, and any obstacle only strengthens their tenacity and perseverance, as it gives them new strength to fight.

This is the last sign of the stability zone, a sign of the element of Water, formed mainly under the vibrations of the planets Pluto and Mars. Elements Water is represented here in its most stable form.

As a rule, you are closed at the internal level, suspicious, distrustful, constantly directed inward, jealous, and you often delve into introspection and self-judgment. Quite often you are characterized by self-conceit and hidden self-destruction. For you, this may be a way of transforming yourself with subsequent restoration and turning to life, to restoration on a new, qualitatively different level. It should be noted that you have a very difficult transformation and severe deep self-destruction, characteristic of any representative of the Scorpio sign. But you are not afraid of this destruction - it is a means of development and realization for you.
It’s good if this restoration after another destruction is used for the benefit of the evolution of one’s soul and the souls of others. Because in the worst case scenario, this destruction can be used to destroy your very personality and the people around you. In a sense, you are guided by the slogan: “The worse, the better!” When you feel bad, then you have the energy and strength to fight the circumstances, the negative environment around you. To develop, you need constant shocks: if everything is calm, then you feel bad, you are devouring yourself. Therefore, you subconsciously strive for actions that involve risk, or you are drawn to knowledge of the secret and occult, to magic.

In general, you are very constant and stable, because you represent a motionless cross. You are stable in everything: in love and passion, in your affections, as well as in hatred. You can be very scary in your hatred. You can sacrifice yourself, easily destroy your life and the lives of those around you.
Among the terrible lower Scorpios we find the Minister of Propaganda of Nazi Germany Goebbels, the sadistic doctor Mengele. However, among the Scorpios there were also many excellent psychologists and hypnotists, people with abilities up to the point of magically influencing people. This also applies to cases of strong manifestation of the sign of Scorpio. You come up with and create schemes with great ease and clearly use your schemes; you know how to subtly influence others and subjugate them to yourself. A developed magical Scorpio is capable of subjugating a huge crowd to himself and to his magical influence.
In the lowest case, you are an individual who sees and notices only negative aspects in others. You are no longer even a Scorpio, but a spider, a tarantula. Then you are basically engaged in self-criticism, which is not constructive and, naturally, you bite others.

What is your development dynamics? To some extent, it is similar to the dynamics of the development of Taurus, but in Taurus the development is slow, smooth: slow accumulation and transition to a new quality. You have a build-up of tension, and then a sharp transition to another level, a flash, almost an explosion. It is not for nothing that all nuclear research is associated with Pluto and, naturally, with Scorpio, where its home is located. If we talk about your problems, then one of the most important problems is the sublimation of sexual energy. In some ways, Scorpios are the sexiest sign of the Zodiac. In the worst case, this is expressed in perversions; in the best, sexual energy is sublimated into various types of creativity.
It must be said that average Scorpios have a very difficult time getting along with each other. The life of two Scorpios was observed, who “lasted” only two years, that is, experience showed that “average” Scorpios “in one jar” do not get along for a long time, they bite themselves and each other to the point of insanity, and then crawl away in different directions. In evolutionary development, you definitely need to solve the problem of your subconscious, because literally Shakespearean passions often rage there. One of the main problems is to organize passions and direct them in a constructive direction, to use them “for peaceful purposes.” Your karmic task as a Scorpio is very responsible and somewhat unpleasant. It lies in the fact that you karmically have to “bite” yourself and those around you, but these “bites” are aimed at cleansing yourself and those around you from filth. You “bite” only those who are afflicted with evil, and you choose the most vulnerable and rotten place and apply your stinging “bite” there. In a high case, you always know when, who, where and where to bite.

Scorpio countries - Afghanistan, Iran, Azerbaijan. Scorpio people and nations are characterized by internal contradictions, from the energy overwhelming and tearing them apart, internal conflict between the Spirit of the people and the ideology and religion imposed on them.
In the highest case, you are like an eagle, soaring above everyday life and showing people the way to the higher realms of spirituality. You are capable of self-denial, altruism and great enlightenment. Such was F.M. Dostoevsky, among whose heroes we also find many typical Scorpios (Raskolnikov, for example). These are often writers of a sarcastic type, very sarcastic thinkers - Voltaire, Rabelais, A. Bely. The artist Hieronymus Bosch was a clairvoyant Scorpio, as well as Camus, Picasso, and John of Kronstadt. Among politicians one can name Trotsky. Among the Scorpio artists was Arkady Raikin. Father Makhno was a rather bright Scorpio, and violinist Paganini was a magical Scorpio. Scorpios were the famous occultist Papus, the founder of “magnetism” Mesmer.

Famous Scorpios: Abramovich, Viktyuk, Vishnevskaya, I. Gandhi, Herschel, Gates, Gurchenko, Goldanskaya, Whoopi Goldberg, Dassin, Delon, Dibrov, Dostoevsky, Erofeev, DiCaprio, Karachentsov, Columbus, Lombroso, Lomonosov, Lindgren, Magellan, Makhno, Maradona, Milyavskaya, Vanessa May, Demi Moore, Chris Norman, Paganini, Primakov, Plisetskaya, Picasso, Ryazanov, Ramazzotti, Raikin, Rodin, J. Roberts, E. Rotterdamsky, Seleznev, Sisley, Talkov, Ted Turner, Trotsky, Tokareva, Turgenev, Ulyanov, Peta Wilson, Khlebnikova.

Watch a video:

Scorpio | 13 zodiac signs | TV channel TV-3

The site provides condensed information about the zodiac signs. Detailed information can be found on the relevant websites.

On November 3, 1957, a satellite with a dog on board was launched into Earth orbit.

In the post-war period, space exploration began actively, the main goal of which was to send people into space. The first living creature sent into outer space was the dog Laika.

The USSR government has always approved all sorts of experiments related to space flights.
The first spacecraft was launched into earth orbit without passengers. The second, Sputnik 2, was modernized, errors and errors were eliminated. The Space Flight Bureau decided to launch a dog named Laika into Sputnik 2.
The four-meter capsule with a diameter of two meters was specially designed for flight and contained several compartments, in one of which a dog was placed. During each orbit around the earth, the Tral-D system transmitted information about the satellite.

How was the passenger selected?

The idea to take a dog into outer space did not come immediately. Mice, rats and even monkeys have been considered, but a dog is considered a trained animal that can follow commands.
Dogs weighing no more than 6 kilograms were suitable for this mission. But elite breeds were not suitable, as they were pampered and too demanding of food.
Laika, Albina and Mukha were taken from the dog kennel. The choice fell on Laika. She underwent an operation during which special breathing sensors were installed on her ribs.

Launch of Sputnik 2

Initially, everyone knew that the dog would not return to earth. In principle, this is what happened. Due to the high temperature, she died instantly. It was hoped that Laika would live for at least a week, but, like other animals, she died within 5 days.
On November 3, 1957 at 5.30 a.m. the spacecraft was launched.
The whole world was worried about Laika. TASS initially reported the launch without specifying the dog on board. But at the end of the list, they still casually mentioned this event. Events in the West reacted especially vividly to this. Within a week, the USSR was transmitting data on the well-being of an already dead dog. The death occurred due to an error in calculating the size of the satellite.
Later, the Kremlin received more than one letter in which the authorities were accused of inhumane treatment of animals.
The main purpose of the launch was to find out whether a living organism could survive launch into orbit. The dogs Belka and Strelka were able to return from space safe and sound.

Experiments on launching living beings into space began long before Laika’s flight. In 1947, in the USA, with the help of a captured German V-2 rocket, a container with fruit flies and plant seeds was raised to an altitude of more than 100 km. They studied how cosmic radiation affects living organisms. The container was successfully lowered by parachute. It's the turn of the mammals.

In 1948-1949, four primates were launched into space using the V-2 in the United States.

At the same time, one of them died from suffocation at an altitude of 60 km, the other’s rocket exploded at an altitude of only 4 km. Two climbed to an altitude of more than 130 km, but died when the parachute system failed.

In 1951-1952, launches continued, this time using the Aerobee geophysical rocket, which was in service with the US Air Force.

Two out of three launches were finally successful - the monkeys returned alive.

In the USSR, researchers chose dogs for similar experiments - they were better trained. Over time, the advantage began to be given to the females: they did not raise their legs when urinating, so it was easier to adapt a sewage disposal device to them.

On July 22, 1951, the B-1B geophysical rocket launched from the Kapustin Yar test site, sending the dogs Dezik and Tsygan into the upper atmosphere.

The rocket rose to a height of more than 100 km, and the container with the animals landed safely on the ground. The USSR was only a couple of months ahead of the United States - their first successful flight of a monkey took place on September 20, 1951.

After that, more than a dozen more dog launches into space took place in the USSR. The dogs flew in pairs - when they saw each other, they felt more comfortable. Not all launches were successful; almost half of the animals eventually died due to technical flaws and accidents.

However, all this time we were talking only about suborbital flights.

The first highly organized creature to orbit the Earth on an artificial satellite was the dog Laika.

The design of the satellite implied a dog weight limit of 6-7 kg. Candidates were chosen among outbred dogs found in kennels - purebred dogs were not hardy enough and were too demanding of food. In addition, the dog had to have light hair - film equipment experts argued that they looked better on camera.

In addition to Laika, Albina, who has already flown on rockets twice, and Mukha, a newcomer, like Laika, were vying for the title of the first cosmonaut dog. Albina, who served science, was pitied by the researchers, and Mukha, due to the slight curvature of her paws, which would look bad in photographs, was used as a “technological dog” - they checked the operation of the equipment on her before the start.

In the satellite cabin there was a feeding apparatus and an air regeneration device designed for seven days. The design did not provide for Laika's return to Earth.

“For me, the main thing was to provide everything for the future flight of man. You have to train, you have to sacrifice something,” Doctor of Medical Sciences Adilya Kotovskaya, head of the laboratory at the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems, who participated in preparing animals for flights, recalled in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

“But before Laika’s flight, even I cried.” Everyone knew in advance that she would die, and asked her forgiveness. Then the technology did not allow us to return from space...”

Before the flight, Laika underwent surgery - breathing sensors were installed on her ribs and a pulse sensor at the carotid artery. On October 31st, the dog was prepared for boarding and placed in a sealed chamber. At night it was installed on the rocket.

In the first minutes of the flight, Laika’s breathing rate and pulse jumped three times. But gradually the body adapted to weightlessness, and all physiological parameters returned to normal. This was the main result: a highly organized living creature was able to survive in orbital space flight.

However, the joy was short-lived. Due to errors in calculations, within a few hours the temperature in the cabin rose to 40°C. A dog that was supposed to spend a week in space died from overheating after completing four orbits around the Earth.

It was decided not to disclose information about the death of the dog. For another week, the USSR transmitted information about her well-being, then it was reported that Laika had been euthanized.

In the Western press, Laika was called “the shaggiest, loneliest, most unfortunate dog in the world.” Nevertheless, during the time the dog was alive, scientists were able to obtain valuable data on the effects of weightlessness on a living organism.

“The launch itself and the receipt of... information is all very cool,” wrote Soviet physiologist Oleg Gazenko. - But when you understand that you can’t bring this Laika back, that she’s dying there, and that you can’t do anything, and that no one, not just me, no one can bring her back, because there’s no system for returning, this is some kind of very heavy feeling.

Do you know? When I returned to Moscow from the cosmodrome, and for some time there was still jubilation: speeches on the radio, in newspapers, I left the city. Do you understand? I wanted some privacy.”

Despite her death, Laika proved that it is possible to survive in space for more than a few hours.

This information served as a powerful impetus for subsequent research and launches, which paved the way for an epoch-making event - the launch of humans into space.

Animals were sent into space in the future. It wasn't just dogs or monkeys - for example, France launched a cat into suborbital flight in 1968. In the same year, as part of the “lunar program” in the USSR, two turtles, fruit flies, beetles and several plants went into space. In the 1990s, China sent rats and guinea pigs into orbit. Around the same time, quails were sent to the Mir orbital station.

In 2007, the first “space” animals were born - 33 descendants of the Nadezhda cockroach, conceived on the Foton M-3 satellite. And in 2013, geckos were in orbit along with microbes, snails, mollusks and Mongolian gerbils.

60 years ago, on November 3, 1957, a spacecraft with a living creature on board was launched into Earth orbit for the first time - the Soviet Sputnik 2 with the dog Laika. TASS talks about this and other attempts to send animals into space.

Experimental flights involving dogs (on geophysical rockets, artificial satellites and spacecraft) were conducted by the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s. in order to prepare for future manned space flights. Before human flight into space, the influence of weightlessness conditions and the tolerance of overloads during launches were studied on animals.

In 1949, by decisions of the presidiums of the USSR Academy of Sciences (now the Russian Academy of Sciences) and the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, the doctrine of space biology and medicine was approved, providing for experimental flights into space of animals and, in particular, dogs.

Non-pedigreed dogs were chosen as experimental animals because they are more hardy and unpretentious. They had to weigh no more than 6 kg and height (at the withers) no higher than 35 cm. The dogs were trained in a special laboratory of the Research Institute of Aviation Medicine of the Air Force of the USSR Ministry of Defense (NII AM; now the State Research Testing Institute of Military Medicine of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation , GNIIII VM, Moscow).

Flights on geophysical rockets

From July 1951 to June 1960, suborbital launches of geophysical rockets (R-1B, R-1V, R-1D, R-1E, R-2A, R-5A) developed by Sergei Korolev were carried out from the Kapustin Yar test site in the Astrakhan region , chief designer of OKB-1 (now Rocket and Space Corporation Energia named after S.P. Korolev).

• The rockets, on which special sealed compartments with dogs were installed, reached altitudes of over 100 km. Then their detachable head parts with animals descended to Earth by parachute.
• Since 1954, dogs began to be ejected in spacesuits mounted on a special trolley with a parachute system and a life support system. The flights lasted from 15 to 20 minutes.

Flight of Desik and Gypsy

The dogs Dezik and Tsygan were the first to be sent on an experimental flight. On July 22, 1951, an R-1B rocket lifted a sealed cabin with animals to a height of 100.8 km. After 15 min. the dogs in the container cabin landed safely by parachute 20 km from the launch site.

The animals were secured in the cabin with straps. The air regeneration system maintained the gas composition of the atmosphere necessary for breathing.

At the moment of landing, when the cabin entered the dense layers of the atmosphere, the dogs experienced increased heart rate and breathing. But in general, the animals tolerated weightlessness and an overload of approximately 5.5 g well. No physiological abnormalities or changes were found in the dogs. The entire flight was filmed with a film camera installed in the cockpit.

• Subsequently, Gypsy no longer took part in flights. He was taken to his home by the chairman of the state commission for organizing research on geophysical rockets, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Anatoly Blagonravov.
• Desik launched for the second time on the next rocket together with a dog named Fox on July 29, 1951. Both dogs died upon landing due to a parachute that did not open.
• In total, 29 flights were carried out on geophysical rockets with the participation of 36 dogs (some flew several times), of which 15 died.

Spacecraft flights

The first living creature to make an orbital flight and travel into space was a dog. Laika. On November 3, 1957, she was sent into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Sputnik 2. At that time, technologies for returning spacecraft to Earth had not yet been developed, so the animal spent about six hours in weightlessness and died in orbit from suffocation and heat.

The first dogs to go into orbit and return safely to Earth were Squirrel And Arrow. On August 19, 1960, they launched from Baikonur on a satellite ship (Sputnik 5), a prototype of the Vostok manned spacecraft. The animals spent 25 hours in low-Earth orbit.

Subsequently, in order to make the final decision on human space flight, dogs were launched into orbit twice on Vostok spacecraft in 1961 - Chernushka(March 9) and Asterisk(March 25). They completely covered the path that lay ahead of the planet's first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin: takeoff, one orbit around the Earth and landing.

We also visited low-Earth orbit Front sight And Bee(December 2, 1960; died on return), Breeze And Ember(made a flight on a biosatellite on February 22 - March 17, 1966).

In total, nine dogs became “cosmonauts” as part of research conducted by the Soviet Union, of which six returned safely to Earth.

Rocket launches with dogs by China

In addition to the USSR, launches with dogs were also carried out by China. In July 1966, two successful launches took place on T-7A-S2 geophysical rockets with dogs Xiao Biao and Shanshan.

In addition, in 1999-2002. During unmanned launches of the Shenzhou (Sacred Shuttle) ships, various biological objects were on board.

China has not disclosed which animals were on the ships. However, according to the British agency Reuters, in January 2001 there was a dog on Shenzhou 2.

Animal Memory

In memory of animals who died in scientific experiments:

• In 1958, a granite column was erected in front of the Paris Society for the Protection of Dogs. Its top is crowned by a skyward satellite, from which Laika’s face peeks out.
• On the island of Crete (Greece), on the territory of the Homo Sapiens Museum ("Homo sapiens" from Latin - "Homo sapiens"), there is a monument to the dogs - Laika, Belka and Strelka.
• In Moscow, a memorial plaque was unveiled on the building of the GNIIII VM laboratory, where Laika was being prepared for flight (1997), and a monument to Laika was erected in front of the institute (2008).
• In Izhevsk in 2006, a monument to the dog Zvezdochka was unveiled.

The material was prepared according to TASS DOSSIER data (Inna Klimacheva).

The launch of Sputnik-2 into Earth orbit was a breakthrough for mankind in space exploration. This experiment proved that living beings can survive in conditions of weightlessness. It wouldn't have happened without the little mongrel. It was Laika, the dog-cosmonaut, who was the hero who once again established the scientific power of the Soviet Union. November 3, 1957 went down in world history as both a significant event for science and a tragic event for the tiny creature.

How the dog Laika became an astronaut

The honorary role of the first living cosmonaut was given to a mongrel from the shelter named Laika. She was chosen just 12 days before the flight. Before she was approved for this “position,” other mammals were considered as possible candidates: rats, mice and even monkeys. But in the end they settled on dogs.

This choice was not made by chance. Firstly, the success of the experiment required this. Four-legged pets were highly trainable, behaved calmly, and would not disrupt sensors and necessary equipment, as primates could do. And, secondly, the image of the hero dog fit perfectly into the subsequent propaganda and PR program of the Soviet Union. It was believed that she would be perfect for promoting a heroic breakthrough in the media.

The weight of the animal should not exceed 7 kg due to technical requirements. And experts in photography and film equipment recommended choosing a white dog so that it would look impressive in the photographs.

First, 10 future astronaut dogs were selected. And only “nobles” and bitches. Males were not suitable due to the difficulty in making sewage clothing. And purebred animals were immediately dismissed as pets with poor health, weak psyche, intolerant and whimsical eaters.

Dogs began to be trained for space “procedures” at the Air Force Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine. Under the leadership of Vladimir Yazdovsky, they were trained in a centrifuge and a pressure chamber, accustomed to an automatic feeder and a long stay in a small cabin.

Three reached the finals: Mukha, Albina and Laika. The first was rejected due to the congenital curvature of the paws and left for technical ground tests. They took pity on Albina - she was expecting puppies. Therefore, they decided to send the dog Laika into orbit. At the time of the experiment she was less than 2 years old.

Preparing astronaut dogs for flight

It all started long before the birth of the dog Laika, in 1948. Then designer Sergei Korolev initiated work to determine the reaction of a living creature to the conditions of a rocket flight.

The first experiments were carried out at the Kapustin Yar test site. Rockets of the so-called “academic” or “geophysical” type were used. They were launched vertically to a certain height, their head parts with the animals in them were separated and landed by parachute. A total of 6 launches were made, most of them unsuccessful. Four astronaut dogs died during the flight.

In addition to dogs, other mammals (mice, guinea pigs, rats), flies, plants (mushrooms, wheat sprouts, corn, onions, peas) and even bacteria took part in flights.

But all the rockets did not leave orbit. The maximum altitude to which they were launched was 450 km. Therefore, the effects of weightlessness on living beings were still unknown.

The first spacecraft, Sputnik 1, was successfully launched on October 4, 1957. The authorities wanted to consolidate their triumph. Moreover, the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution was approaching.

Therefore, all work was carried out in a hurry. There were not even models or drawings; Sputnik 2 was assembled almost on the knee. The training of astronaut dogs was also hastily carried out. Nobody thought about their return. The main question was just one: how long the animal could live on the ship.

The pressurized cabin of Sputnik 2 was made in the shape of a cylinder with a curved bottom. Especially for the dog Laika, it was equipped with a life support system: an automatic feeder that supplied a jelly-like nutritional mixture, sensors for taking physiological indicators and an air conditioning system designed for 7 days of operation.

Shortly before the launch of the satellite, Laika, the first astronaut dog, underwent surgery. Breathing sensors were installed on the ribs, and a pulse sensor was installed near the carotid artery.

They also produced a special suit with motion sensors. It was equipped with a container for collecting feces and was attached to the container with cables. The dog Laika could sit, lie down and even move back and forth a little.

In space

Laika's flight was scheduled for half past five in the morning on November 3, 1957. Preparations for landing on the satellite began a few days in advance - on October 31. The astronaut dog's skin was treated with diluted alcohol, and the exit points of the wires from the sensors were treated with iodine.

The day before, the dog Laika was put in a cell. In the first hour of the night it was installed on the satellite. However, shortly before the launch, the chamber was depressurized at the request of the medical staff: it seemed to the veterinarians that the animal was thirsty.

Perhaps the last requirement was dictated not by the thirst of the astronaut dog, but by human feelings. All the specialists who participated in the experiment understood that the animal would not return and tried to somehow decorate the last moments of its life. For example, Vladimir Yazdovsky, shortly before the flight, took his dog Laika to his home so that she could play with the children. So he wanted to do something nice for the pet.

The launch started successfully. Telemetric data indicated a threefold overload, but there were no pathological abnormalities in the heartbeat of Laika, the first cosmonaut dog. Afterwards, her pulse returned to normal, and it was clear that she was even moving a little. But after a few hours everything changed.

Death of the dog Laika

It was originally planned that Laika, the first astronaut dog launched into Earth orbit, would live for about a week. But due to errors in calculating the area of ​​the spacecraft and the lack of temperature regulation necessary for the life support system, she died from overheating 5-7 hours after launch.

On Sputnik 2, the dog Laika made 4 orbits around the Earth. The ship itself circled the planet 2,370 times before burning up in the atmosphere in mid-April 1958.

It is noteworthy that the expert commission did not believe in the possibility of an error and forced the experiment to be repeated 2 more times, but this time under conditions on Earth. Both times it ended fatally: the astronaut dogs in the chambers died.

Public response

Laika's flight was received with great resonance by the Western, not the Soviet, press. While foreign media focused on the fate of the cosmonaut dog, TASS only dryly reported on the technical side of the experiment, only at the end devoting a couple of lines about the animal on board.

Moreover, they decided not to inform the public that the dog Laika would not return. For another 7 days after her death, periodicals reported with reports on the pet’s well-being. And on the 8th day they reported that Laika was supposedly euthanized, as planned.

Even this sugar-coated lie shook up society. Indignant letters about cruelty to animals poured into the Kremlin. They even proposed launching the then First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Nikita Khrushchev, into space instead of the dog Laika.

The death of Laika caused an even greater public outcry in the West. The New York Times published an article with the phrase: “The shaggiest, loneliest, most unfortunate dog in the world.” Subsequently, she became winged.

Foreign animal protection organizations nicknamed Khrushchev a “soulless Soviet knacker.” Protests broke out to stop animal experimentation.

When the first outrage subsided, the anger of the citizens of the USSR was replaced by demands for justice. The Kremlin was again inundated with letters. But with requests to award the dog Laika the posthumous title of Hero of the Soviet Union and a military rank.

Instead, the government decided to make a brand out of the dog Laika. We launched the production of cigarettes of the same name. They wanted to produce ice cream, processed cheese and candy under the same brand. But after reasonable reflection, we realized that this would be too much.

At the same time, educational hours were held in schools. At them, children were told that the death of one dog, Laika, was nothing compared to a scientific breakthrough. And space exploration is one of the main government tasks. They also emphasized that thanks to his feat, the unknown mongrel became a national hero.

The role of the dog Laika for science and its mark on culture

Despite the tragedy of the story, the death of the first astronaut dog was not in vain. Laika's flight proved that living beings can survive in conditions of weightlessness. The experiment also allowed us to refine the spacecraft. The next launch ended in triumph: the dogs Belka and Strelka returned to Earth alive.

They haven't forgotten about the heroic mongrel. On the territory of the Institute of Military Medicine, where the experiment was carried out, a two-meter monument was erected in 2008. The sculpture depicts a space rocket turning into a palm on which the dog Laika stands.

Another monument is installed in the Greek Museum of Homo Sapiens. It is located next to monuments dedicated to other cosmonauts: Yuri Gagarin, the Apollo, Soyuz, Shuttle crews and Neil Armstrong.

The feat of the first astronaut dog was reflected in culture. Laika is mentioned in films, animated series and anime; songs and entire albums have been dedicated to it. Musical groups were even named after her.