History Schmistory: August 19. To go where no man would dare go before…

1960 – Sputnik Program: Sputnik 5  – the Soviet Union launches a satellite with 2 dogs, 40 mice, 2 rats and a variety of plants. The first animals to be launched into orbit and return safely. Not to take anything away from the first animals ever in space, fruit flies. Seriously. They did so well we sent them back a few years ago. Poor little guys…

By Jack Dykinga, U.S. Department of Agriculture [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By Jack Dykinga, U.S. Department of Agriculture [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

-We should give a shout to Laika, the original space dog, who unfortunately didn’t make it back. RIP widdle buddy!

Laika Monument By Laika ac from USA (Laika) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Laika Monument
By Laika ac from USA (Laika) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons