Evening star., 1960-08-22
SPACE M0NGRELs FRIsKY ~:
Dogs Shot Into Orbit Rally and Eat

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row., shown to newspapermen
in Moscow for the first time,
rallied and soon were eating as
their space ship sped on its
orbit. the Communist Party
newspaper said.
The newspaper also reported
the capsule containing the two
dogs, other animals, flies, plants
and fungi made a smooth, un-
damaged landing in a Soviet
meadow after being discharged
from the mother space ship.
The capsule came down Satur-
day after 18 revolutions around
the earth in "a hours.
Ship Also Lands
The Az ton space ship, after
discharging its living cargo at
a low altitude, also made his
tory by landing safely itself.
Pravda said. 1t gives no details
of the mechanism for either
landing.
Scientists watching the reac-
ton of the dogs by television
placed aboard the space ship
said the dogs heads and paws
hung limp and unmoving after
emerging from the terrific pull
of the takeoff.
I'VE were alarmed at that
moment" one scientist told
Pravda. only the data of the
telemetric system quieted us.
The dogs pulse and breathing
were continuing"
Pravda said one. scientist
gave this account of the land
ing of the capsule:
The container with the dogs
landed on a smooth meadow
surrounded by arabic fields.
On landing four farmers were
not far away. They surrounded
the unusual guest from the
cosmos and examined it.
Specialists Arrive
Somebody read a sign on
the container which carried a
request to report the finding
to a given address but they
didn't have to send a telegram.
Soon above their heads an air.
plane of observers appeared. 1t
landed specialists who were the
first to open the travelling ship.
"Belka and Strelka rushed
out of it. They ran about the
meadow fawning upon people ,,
and barking merrily."
One Soviet scientist. Prof.
D. v. Martynov. said that the
satellite used in the test could
carry both a man and large
variety of scientific instru-
ments." Other scientists hailed
the recovery of the ship as
another big step toward send
ing a man into space.
The journey covered 100000
kilometers (434.700 niles in an
orbit 1888 miles above the ]
earth. The Russians said the 1
landings were made within ,
seven miles of the target spot. {
Actions Recorded.
Television cameras inside the s
space capsule recorded the ac-
tions of the dogs during the
fight. Astronomer Mikolai Bar
bashov said they showed the
phenomenon of weightlessness
IN space caused no grave dis l
turbances of physical function.
Pravda said the two dogs in
the special cabin could see
each other throughout the
flight as they were separated
only by a transparent net.
During the 18th swing
around the earth the signal
for the space ship to descend
was given from the ground,
Pravda said.
Without giving specific de-
tails of the mechanism, the
paper said
"All intricate automatic de-
vices forming part of the sys-
tenn of ensuring safe landing
operated accurately and fault
lessly. From the first moment
of descent, special equipment
transmitted data to the earth
characterizing the functioning
of the braking set, the system
of control over the descent, and
the parameters were recorded
while the space ship re-entered
the dense layers of the atmos-
phere."
Pravda said "all these data
are of tremendous practical
Importance for future flights
and safe return to the EARTH"
Some Soviet newspapers re-
ported briefly the recovery of /
the 85-pound United States
space capsule in the air over
the Pacific but this was dis
missed as an experiment for
espionage purposes.
Red Lead Noted
West European newspapers
generally viewed the Soviet
achievement as another demon
stration Of the Russians lead
in the race with the United
States to get a man into space.
The London Observer said the
Soviet feat will be a bitter pill
to American scientists who
have also successfully recovered
objects from orbit. but on a
far more modest scale"
Prof. Alfred j. Lowell, direc-
tor of Britain's giant radio
telescope at Jodrell Bank, said
the Russians undoubtedly
have a lead of several years
over the Americans in their
ability to put extremely heavy
objects into orbit and also in
the precision Of their guidance.
But. on the other hand, the