First plants and animals return alive

On 19/08/1960, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 5 (Korabl-Sputnik 2), achieving the first successful mission to send living organisms into orbit and return them safely to Earth. The spacecraft was part of a series of test flights designed to prepare for future human space missions by studying the effects of space travel on biological systems. Sputnik 5 carried a biological payload that included two dogs, Belka and Strelka, along with mice, rats, insects, plants, fungi, and seeds. During the mission, the spacecraft completed 17 orbits around Earth over a period of approximately 24 hours. Sensors onboard monitored the animals’ vital signs and behavior, providing data on how living organisms responded to weightlessness and the stresses of launch and reentry. After completing its orbital flight, the spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere and landed safely on 20/08/1960. The successful recovery of the animals marked the first time living beings had survived an orbital mission and returned alive. This demonstrated that the conditions of spaceflight, including microgravity and reentry forces, could be endured by living organisms. The results of Sputnik 5 played a direct role in advancing human spaceflight, providing confidence that astronauts could survive similar missions. Less than a year later, on 12/04/1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit Earth aboard Vostok 1.