Russian Toy Dog Names

Hopefully by now, you've heard of the numerous dogs who have been sent out into space in the name of human exploration. Dogs like the famous Laika who gave their lives to appease humans and "push the boundaries" of what it means to explore and understand existence itself. But there's good news too: not all of these dogs died. 

For instance, on August 19, 1960, the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik 5 capsule, which contained 40 mice, two rats, a rabbit, some fruit flies, some plants, and two dogs known as Belka (Whitney) and Strelka (Little Arrow).  

By this point, Russia had already been experimenting with space exploration and launches for a while. It was all in the hopes that someday sooner than later, they'd be able to send their first humans into orbit in a safe manner so as that they could return to earth alive. Obviously, all previous launches had failed epically. Animals sent into space had made it safely into space but had died while in orbit. Some due to the strenuous conditions, but others due to human error when designing or assembling the spacecrafts. 

So, August of 1960 was an exciting time for the Russians. The animals aboard the Sputnik 5 capsule were the first living creatures to go into orbit and return safely. In turn, they gave the Soviets confidence to send a human into space less than a year later. According to Chris Dubbs, author of Space Dogs: Pioneers of Space Travel, Russian space doctors were alarmed when the TV transmissions from inside the capsule showed that neither dog was moving at all during the first three orbits. 

It wasn't until the fourth orbit that Belka shuddered and vomited. It snapped both dogs out of their shock of being in an area with no gravity. From there on out, they looked much more alert. Whether you think this is abusive, the act of sending animals out to space, or not, both dogs became instant heroes in Russia and the rest of the world. They were even the inspiration for shows like Ren and Stimpy.  

Both dogs were preserved after death and are on display at the Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow, Russia. Strelka lives on through her heirs. Her daughter, Pushinka, was given to the first Lady Jacqueline Kennedy when her husband, John F. Kennedy was President of the United States. Pushinka went on to have four puppies of her own as well.