Soviet space dogs We did not learn enough from the mission to justify the death of the dog...". Belka (Белка, literally, "Squirrel" or alternatively "Whitey") and Strelka (Стрелка, "Little Arrow") spent a day in space aboard Korabl-Sputnik 2 (Sputnik 5) on 19 August 1960 before safely returning to Earth. They were accompanied by a grey rabbit, 42 mice, two rats, flies and several plants and fungi. All passengers survived. They were the first Earth-born creatures to go into orbit and return alive.Strelka went on to have six puppies with a male dog named Pushok who participated in many ground-based space experiments, but never
Ivan Fedorovich Belka Otyaev Ivan Fedorovich Belka Otyaev Ivan Fedorovich Belka Otyaev (; second quarter of the 15th century - unknown) was the ambassador of tsar Ivan III in the Principality of Ryazan, the founder of the noble family of Belkin, the most likely founder of the village Belkin Repinskaya parish. Ivan Belka was the eldest son of Fyodor Dutka Otyaev. Served Ivan III. He was sent to the embassy in Ryazan principality, which at the time maintained its independence. He is the most probable founder of the village Belkin (now the village Belkino Borovsky District, Kaluga region). Most likely, the land ownership was