How many dogs died in space before Belka and Strelka? - briefly
Before the successful mission of Belka and Strelka, several dogs had perished during earlier Soviet space experiments. At least three dogs, including Dezik, Lisa, and Rica, died in previous attempts before Belka and Strelka became the first animals to safely orbit Earth and return alive.
How many dogs died in space before Belka and Strelka? - in detail
Before the successful mission of Belka and Strelka, the Soviet Union conducted several suborbital flights with dogs. The first of these missions took place on July 22, 1951, when a dog named Dezik was launched aboard an R-1 missile. Although Dezik survived the flight, he died during the parachute landing due to equipment failure.
Another notable mission occurred on September 14, 1951, when two dogs, Smoky and Shirokaya, were launched aboard an R-1 missile. Both dogs were successfully recovered after the flight, but they later died during a parachute test that was part of the preparations for further missions.
On November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union attempted to launch a dog named Lisa aboard the Sputnik-2 satellite. However, technical issues led to the failure of the mission, and Lisa did not survive.
The first dogs to survive both the flight and the recovery process were the passengers of the Korabl-Sputnik 2 mission on August 19, 1960. The two dogs, Belka and Strelka, not only survived the flight but also became famous for their successful return to Earth, marking a significant milestone in space exploration with animals.
In summary, prior to the mission of Belka and Strelka, several dogs had died during early Soviet space missions due to various technical issues and equipment failures. These unfortunate incidents paved the way for improvements in technology and procedures that ultimately led to successful canine spaceflights.