DOGS IN SPACE

For various reasons, including ethical ones, it was impossible to directly study the effects of spaceflight on humans, so it was decided to conduct experiments on animals. The prime candidates for test subjects were higher mammals, apes, and dogs. During the selection process, it became clear that using monkeys in the experiments would not yield the desired results. Monkeys were difficult to train, constantly displayed anxiety, and disrupted the researchers with their unpredictable behavior. They also experienced more stress than dogs.

Dogs, as candidates for space exploration, possessed a number of advantages over monkeys: they were easier to train, better able to withstand long periods of inactivity, and were capable of surviving in the harshest conditions. The USSR already had considerable experience using dogs as experimental animals. Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, a Soviet physiologist and founder of the science of higher nervous activity, used dogs in his research.

Mongrel and stray dogs were used for the space flight. By the time of the tests, these animals had already undergone natural selection in street conditions. Compared to domestic and purebred dogs, mongrels were noted for their robust health, intelligence, unpretentiousness in food, and loyalty to humans. V. I. Yazdovsky was responsible for selecting dogs for the space program, and O. G. Gazenko supervised their training. The mongrels were caught on the streets of Moscow and sent to the Scientific Research Institute for selection.

Research and Testing Institute of Aviation Medicine (NIIIAM). The dogs were selected according to specific parameters dictated by the nature of the research.

The equipment and dimensions of the rocket passenger cabins were determined by the requirements. The animals needed were healthy, calm, and in excellent physical condition, no heavier than 6 kg and no taller than 35 cm, aged between two and six years. Short-haired dogs were best suited for proper placement of the sensors. They were sent on flights in pairs to eliminate the possibility of individual reactions and obtain more objective results.

The dog training program for the flight was highly complex. It included training in a centrifuge and on vibration rigs. Dogs selected for spaceflight based on their training results also underwent a special training program for eating in the capsule using a special mechanism.

The space dogs were housed in 64x80 cm cabins with a lid and a porthole. Temperature and humidity sensors and monitors were installed in the cabin to monitor their condition. When the temperature in the cabin increased, a ventilation system was automatically activated to absorb excess humidity and carbon dioxide. The dogs were trained to wear suits equipped with harnesses that restricted their movement, allowing them to lie down, sit up, and move slightly forward or backward. During their training, they were accustomed to eating and drinking water twice a day and defecating in special bags located behind them in the cabin.

Research into dog flights into the upper atmosphere and space was strictly classified. Designers, scientists, and sometimes even the dogs were given pseudonyms. This led to inconsistencies in the dogs' names in different sources. A single dog could have several different names.

Chief Rocket Designer Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, known for his love of dogs, personally inquired about their health and well-being every day. Every tragedy that befell the dogs during testing was taken as a personal tragedy. The researchers who worked with them never allowed themselves to refer to their pets as experimental material, as during their collaboration, the dogs became more like colleagues and friends than research subjects.