Historical Remix: Doggos in Space!!

The Space Race was a period of time during the Cold War where the United States and the Soviet Union competed on a technological basis, instead of a nuclear basis. The primary goal for both countries was to get something into space fast, which the Soviets achieved first with the launch of Sputnik, the first ever satellite. The Soviet Union was also able to get a man in space before the United States could. However, America became the first country to put a man on the moon. Before humans were sent up into space, spacecrafts with animals—such as monkeys, rabbits, cats, and dogs—were sent in order to ensure that the conditions would be safe for people.

For my historical remix (a recreation of a historical event, but with the use of social media), I’ve decided to live tweet the Space Race, but from the perspective of the animals that were sent into space. Dates that they were launched can be seen on the tweets.

Fruit flies were the first animals to be sent into space.
Albert II was the first monkey in space.
A mouse reached an altitude of 85 miles.
Laika was the first living thing to orbit the Earth.
The first rabbit in space was launched by the Soviets on July 2, 1959.
Belka and Strelka were the first animals to make it back to Earth alive.
Félicette was the first cat in space. She had sensors implanted under her skin so her conditions could be monitored.
The first tortoises in space were aboard the U.S.S.R.’s Zond 5, which was the first spacecraft to orbit the moon.
Anita and Arabella were European garden spiders aboard NASA’s Skylab for 59 days in 1973.

*All images are public domain.

 

The Space Race was a time of vast and rapid technological advancement, mostly due to the competition between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Without the help of these brave animals, it is very possible that more human lives would have been lost. We were able to fix malfunctions and prepare for space conditions because of the sacrifices these animals made for humanity. Thank a dog for his ancestors’ achievements the next time you see one.

Sources

https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/space-race

https://www.space.com/17764-laika-first-animals-in-space.html

https://www.space.com/20648-animals-in-space-history-infographic.html

https://www.prankmenot.com

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