BEFORE THE SPACE RACE, WAS SPUTNIK AND THE HONORABLE BELKA AND STRELKA.
THEY WERE THE FIRST EARTH-BORN CREATURES TO GO INTO ORBIT AND RETURN ALIVE. THEY SPENT A DAY IN SPACE ABOARD SPUTNIK 5 ON AUGUST 19, 1960, ACCOMPANIED BY
A GREY RABBIT, 42 M1CE, 2 RATS, FLIES, AND A NUMBER OF PLANTS AND FUNGI.
