The dog Laika was not the first animal launched into space in the early days of space operations
first steps
As part of its military plans, the United States also incorporated biological research. On July 9, 1958, a mouse was launched into space using the Vanguard-Abel launcher. The mouse was equipped with a device to check the heartbeat. On July 23, another mouse, named Ricky, was launched by the Tor launcher. The mouse was provided with food for six weeks and electrodes were attached to its body.
In August 1958, the Soviet Union launched a single-stage launcher to an altitude of 400 km with two dogs hermetically sealed in a special compartment. The cabin had a special air purification device and a movie camera. Sensitive measuring devices were attached to the dogs' bodies to measure pulse, breathing rate, blood pressure and metabolic activity during the flight. When the launcher soared to a height of 450 km, the space chamber detached from it, its speed was slowed down by two brake rockets and two parachutes were opened that returned the dogs safely.
In the same year, the United States launched three mice in a two-stage Thor-Abel launcher to an altitude of 1000 km to test their behavior in weightless conditions. When the launcher passed over an altitude of 6,000 km at a speed of 25,000 km/h, it crashed with its live cargo.
On October 3, 1958, the US Air Force launched three mice in an Atlas launcher. After the launcher reached an altitude of over 1,000 km, the cell with the mice returned to Earth and fell into the Atlantic Ocean, north of Asuncion Island. The cabin was picked up by a ship after two planes picked up the radio signals broadcast from the cabin. Each of the mice was enclosed in a cylindrical box measuring 40 cm and 15 cm in diameter. Each cell had food for five days and devices to measure heart rate and breathing rate.
On December 12, 1958, the United States launched, using the Jupiter launcher, a little monkey named Gordo. According to the plan, the spacecraft carrying the monkey should be released from the launcher at an altitude of 480 km and land 15 minutes after launch. Due to a malfunction in the ejection mechanism, the monkey traveled a distance of 2,400 km and sank in the depths of the South Atlantic Ocean. Despite this, the monkey provided the researchers with important data on great acceleration and weightlessness from which he did not suffer at all, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, reactions of the vocal cords, temperature and pressure in the cell. The monkey was lying in the cell with its legs folded.
On May 28, 1959, the United States launched the Abel and Baker boxes into space in order to return those animals to Israel. In addition to the cash registers, there were organic tissues and fish eggs in the cell. Their role was to provide additional data on the effect of cosmic radiation on fertility. The experiment ended successfully.
On June 13, 1959, the United States launched four black mice in the space capsule Discoverer 3. Due to a technical malfunction, instead of entering the desired orbit, the capsule fell into the depths of the sea. A similar attempt that was crowned with success was conducted on December 4, 1959 using the Little Joe 2 launcher, with a rhesus monkey named Sam. The launcher soared to a height of 320 km.
On January 31, 1961, the Mercury 2 spacecraft was launched with a chimpanzee monkey named Ham, for a suborbital flight. The purpose of the flight was to test whether it is possible to return a spaceship even if astronauts lose consciousness.
France
On February 22, 1961, France launched from the Colomb base in Bashar in Algiers a cell called Veronique with a rat in it to an altitude of 150 km. The cell fell 45 km from the launch site. The purpose of the launch was to test the balance of animals during flight using remote measurements. Many electrodes were attached to the rat's body which transmitted a lot of data about the changes in the electrical currents in the rat's brain and muscles.
On May 7, 1967, France launched a coupe named Martin. The goal of the researchers was to test the degree of alertness and coordination of the limbs of an animal in a state of weightlessness and the brain of the cashier. Nine minutes after launch, the box reached an altitude of 240 km and after another 12 minutes it landed.
Soviet Union
Sputnik 2
On November 3, 1957, the Sputnik 2 spacecraft was launched into an orbit whose distance from Earth was 233-1700 km. The duration of the lap is 103.7 minutes and the angle of inclination is 65 degrees. The spacecraft weighs 508 kg and is 22 meters long. A dog named Laika was launched in this spaceship. The purpose of the launch was to collect data on living conditions in space. This is in order to prepare the ground for the launch of a manned spacecraft. The spacecraft was not detached from the upper stage of the launcher and entered orbit with it. The total weight was 3.2 tons.
The spacecraft was built in two parts. The first was an exact replica of Sputnik 1. The second was a special compartment for the dog. Laika was put into a special harness. Various measuring devices were attached to her body designed to measure heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and more. A special device was installed on the dog's head that allowed her to breathe properly and eat. The telemetry transmissions of the dog's activity proved that the weightlessness conditions do not affect her negatively. 100 hours after launch, the batteries ran out and the dog was killed painlessly by a wireless signal from the ground. On April 14, 1958, the spacecraft entered the atmosphere and burned up.
Corval Sputnik 1
On May 15, 1960, the Coravel Sputnik 1 spacecraft was launched. The orbit of the spacecraft was 312-369 km, the duration of the orbit was 91.2 minutes and the inclination angle was 65 degrees. The purpose of the launch was to investigate the conditions necessary to resolve the issue of the safe return of a manned spacecraft to Israel. The spaceship had a chamber containing organic tissues, a small number of animals, a human-like doll and all the necessary equipment to ensure a normal course of life for astronauts. The weight of the spacecraft was 4.5 tons. The spacecraft is flying in a trajectory suitable for manned flight. The investigators tried to return the cell to Israel on May 19. The attempt failed. The braking engines worked in the opposite direction and the cabin was moved to a more distant orbit.
Corval Sputnik 2
On August 19, 1960, Coravel Sputnik 2 was launched. The spacecraft circled the Earth in an orbit whose distance from the ground is 306-339 km, the duration of the orbit is 90.7 minutes and the angle of inclination is 65 degrees. The weight of the spacecraft was 4.6 tons. After 11 laps on August 20, the spacecraft was returned to Israel using an electronic radio system. As for this system, it fulfilled three tasks assigned to it.
1. Remote guidance - this task was performed using a signal from the center of the target that resulted in a soft landing of the cell.
2. Television filming - this task is reflected in the filming of the dogs that were in the cell.
3. Carrying out remote measurements - this task is reflected in checking the physiological condition of the dogs that were in the cell: Strialka and Bialka. The dogs were monitored using television and the results were recorded on film. Electrodes that were attached to their bodies and special equipment that was also attached to them, recorded their reactions.
An equally important task was testing the effect of cosmic radiation on animals. For this purpose, in addition to dogs, rats, mice and flies were also released. Like the dogs, they also felt good. Small mushrooms, tiny sea plants and various plant seeds. Living conditions similar to those prevailing on Earth were created in the spacecraft during the flight.
Corval Sputnik 3
On February 1, 1960, Coravel Sputnik 3 was launched. The spacecraft circled the earth in an orbit whose distance from the ground is 180-249 km, the duration of the orbit is 88.5 minutes and the inclination angle is 65 degrees. The weight of the spacecraft is 4.563 tons. The goals of the launch were:
1. Continue research on animal behavior under living conditions in space. In the spaceship were two dogs, Pachuca and Musked, insects and plants. Observations on the behavior of the animals, which were carried out with the help of radio, television and telemetry methods, showed that the animals withstood the acceleration changes, while entering the track. The temperature and air pressure were normal and the condition of the animals was normal.
2. Research in space physics is done using appropriate equipment.
On December 3, the Russians tried to return the spacecraft to Israel. The entry into the atmosphere was not performed properly and the spacecraft burned up with the animals inside.
Corval Sputnik 4
On March 9, 1961, Coravel Sputnik 4 was launched. The spacecraft circled the Earth in an orbit that is 184-249 km from the Earth, the duration of the orbit is 88.6 minutes and the angle of inclination is 65 degrees. The weight of the spacecraft is 4.563 tons. After one lap, the spacecraft was returned to Israel with the animals where the main purpose of the flight was to test the cosmic effect on animals. The animals included in the flight were the dog Chernushka. Guinea pig and black mouse. The physiological condition of the animals was found to be normal and the television and radio systems worked properly.
Corval Sputnik 5
On March 25, 1961, Corable Sputnik 5 was launched. The spacecraft circled the Earth in an orbit whose distance from the ground is 178-247 km, the duration of the orbit is 88.4 minutes and the angle of inclination is 49 degrees. The weight of the spacecraft is 4.563 tons. She circled the earth once. The spaceship continued the research of its predecessors and in the cabin it had a dog named Svardloka and a humanoid doll.
Cosmos 110
On February 22, 1966, two dogs, Ataruk and Ogulak, were released for 22 days. The spaceship circled the earth in an orbit that is 287-907 km from the ground, the duration of the orbit is 96 minutes. The goals of the flight were:
1. Investigate the possibility of sending a large team of astronauts to stay in a space station.
2. Conduct a comprehensive study of the operation of the heart and the entire vascular system under conditions of weightlessness. For this purpose, devices were attached to the dogs to measure blood pressure, electric currents, with the help of electrodes implanted in their hearts, the mechanical action of the heart, pulse and breathing.
3. Electrodes were implanted in the peripheral nerves to measure the activity of the brain centers that monitor the diameter of the blood vessels.
The dogs received their food from plastic bottles that supplied the food by activating air pressure. Food in the form of a paste was introduced into their bodies through openings that opened from the outside into their stomachs.
On February 26, a three-minute television broadcast was held. After a long stay in space, 330 laps on March 16, the dogs returned to Earth with their hearts working at an increased rate. Their weight is low, their muscles are loose and their bodies contain a large amount of calcium. Blood circulation returned to normal 3-4 days later and their movements 8-10 days later.
Cosmos 605
On October 31, 1973, a biological laboratory was launched - Cosmos 605. The spacecraft stayed in space for 22 days until November 22 of this year. In the spaceship were dozens of laboratory mice, turtles, insects and bacteria. From the experiments conducted on the animals during the period of time that the spacecraft was in space, it became clear that there was a marked deterioration in the metabolism in the tissues of these animals. A decrease in body temperature, damage to the marrow of the bones and their weakening. There were no pathological changes in the animals. The conclusion reached by the researchers was that a prolonged stay in space could seriously affect the metabolism of living organisms.
It turned out that there are no genetic changes and no changes in size between the first generation and the second generation of dropsophila fruit flies. A culture of beetles did not change in its transition from eggs to pupae. In contrast, mushrooms grown in a miniature greenhouse, their roots were larger than normal and their stems were rounder.
The spacecraft also tested a method of protecting spacecraft from charged particles - protons and alpha particles - by creating an electric field around the spacecraft and driving the particles away.
United States
Biosatellite 1
The first spacecraft in the Biosatellite series was launched on February 15, 1960. The purpose of the launch was to test the effect of being in space on animals. There were 13 million insects and other inferior animals in the spacecraft. The spacecraft was lost in space. Her failure to return to Israel was due to a malfunction of the braking engines.
2 Biosatellite
The weightlessness conditions in space may increase the effect of radiation on the living cell almost fourfold, so the safety field of exposing a person to radioactive radiation in space must be redefined. This was one of the conclusions from 13 different experiments conducted in the 2 Biosatellite spacecraft that was launched into orbit around the Earth on September 6, 1967 and which contained poor animals and was returned after three days of flight in which it circled the Earth for 30 hours and not 45 as planned. Severe weather conditions at the intended landing site resulted in the termination of the flight.
Out of 200 proposed experiments, 13 experiments with different plants, bacteria and animals were chosen to fly in the spaceship. This is the first time that experiments of this type have been conducted at the same time as control experiments on Earth. During the flight, cells and animals were subjected to temperature and radiation conditions identical to those prevailing in the spacecraft. In this way it was possible to differentiate between the effects resulting from radiation and effects resulting from weightlessness.
It was found that the effect of radiation is mainly evident on young cells that divide and multiply rapidly. Mature and stable cells are less affected by radiation. On the other hand, it was found that the processes of division and metabolism in young cells become slower in a state of weightlessness. This is because these cells have time to repair radiation damage. In the adult cell, where there is no slowing down of processes due to weightlessness, there is no possibility of damage repairs when these occur.
In the flies that were flown in the spaceship, a significant increase in the number of mutants was discovered relative to the control experiments on Earth. Chromosome changes were also discovered that tend to appear only after a very large amount of radiation. From this they concluded that a state of weightlessness may worsen radiation damage. Similar phenomena were also discovered in beetles and wasps that were in the spacecraft. The bacteria evolved faster in weightless conditions than on Earth. On the other hand, there was a delay in the development of viruses that were flown in the spacecraft. The effect of radiation on plants was not great. Due to gravity there were changes in the direction of growth of leaves, stems and roots. In the tests of the chromosomes, no changes were found compared to the plants in the control experiments.
In testing the development of frog eggs under weightless conditions, a technical fault occurred. There is a particularly sensitive stage in the development of frog eggs and difficult results were obtained in the laboratory. If a disturbance developed at this stage, frogs with two heads appeared, among other things, while in experiments in the spaceship there was a delay of three hours in the take-off and thus the critical stage in the development of the eggs was missed.
In conclusion, we can say that the organism becomes more sensitive to radiation in a state of weightlessness. The spacecraft was recovered with the help of US Air Force aircraft near Honolulu.
Biosatellite 3
There is a noticeable difference between the flight of Biosatellite 2 and that of Biosatellite 3. While in the second flight poor animals were tested, in the third flight an animal close to man was tested - a monkey. The purpose of the flight was to test the monkey's behavior for 30 days in space conditions. From this behavior they wanted to learn how a person would behave in similar circumstances. The main goal was to determine what the effect of weightlessness would be on humans staying in space for an extended period of time.
The monkey was launched on the Tor Delta launcher on June 29, 1960. He had to circle the earth 469 times, for 30 days. The monkey named Bonnie was dressed in a spacesuit made of nylon and was attached to an astronaut couch. In this flight it was possible to learn more about the behavior of humans in space than in previous manned flights. This was due to the spacecraft being equipped with a greater number of instruments. Many devices were attached to the monkey that would interfere with humans during their work. Ten electrodes were attached to the brain and measuring devices were inserted into the blood circulation. This equipment allowed the researchers to continuously monitor the monkey's behavior 24 hours a day.
At the time of takeoff the monkey was sleeping but he suddenly woke up and his heart rate increased from 150 to 200. The blood pressure returned to normal after the spacecraft entered orbit around the Earth and the monkey fell asleep again. On the first day of the flight, the monkey efficiently performed all the tasks assigned to him when he was given food rich in vitamins. The monkey sleeps almost all night, breaking his sleep often to suck water from a special device installed for him. It should be noted that Bonnie was dreaming during the flight.
Later, the monkey showed a lack of interest in fulfilling the tasks assigned to him and refused to drink water. The situation was getting worse day by day. It seemed that the monkey lost consciousness and because of that he was returned to Israel nine days later on July 7.
The planes that were going to catch the spacecraft in the air failed to catch it because it disappeared from the pilots' eyes due to a thick layer of clouds. Helicopters soon discovered the spacecraft shaking on the surface of the water, 40 km north of Hawaii. The monkey was taken out of the spaceship safe and sound, but less than 12 hours after landing it died. An autopsy revealed that he died of a heart attack. The reason for the heart attack, the cooling of the monkey's body during the nine days he was in a state of weightlessness. Despite the brevity of the flight, it was a complete technical success.
unnamed flight
On November 9, 1970, two cells were launched into orbit around the Earth. One cell had two frogs and it weighed 134 kg. The second cell was similar to the first and was designed to study cosmic radiation. The weight of this cell is 21 kg. Nine hours after the launch, the cells were separated from the launcher and entered an elliptical orbit that is 320-592 km from the ground. The two cells flew in close proximity to each other. To create a gravitational force equal in strength to half of the Earth's gravitational force, the cell with the frogs around itself rotates 50 times a minute. The goals were:
1. To investigate the effect of the weightlessness that hindered the astronauts in fulfilling their duties.
2. Investigate the inner ear and the mechanisms responsible for the balance of the frogs in space conditions and draw conclusions about humans.
Electrodes were attached to the bodies of the frogs. On November 16, the frogs died. The cell continued to orbit the Earth for a few months and then was destroyed.
