2-548-202 - © Fine Art Images/Heritage Images

Belka and Strelka, Russian cosmonaut dogs, 1960. Belka and Strelka flew into Earth orbit on board Sputnik 5 on 19 August 1960 as part of the Soviet programme aimed at determining the viability of manned spaceflight. They were accompanied on the flight by a rabbit, 40 mice and 2 rats. All the animals were recovered safely when the capsule returned to Earth the following day, making them the first living creatures from Earth to return from orbit alive. The flight led to Yuri Gagarin making the first manned spaceflight the following year. Found in the collection of the State Museum of History, Moscow.