MUSCLES Hails His Space-Heroes

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' Thank you for--visiting us--at 'Toothsome Talk'! '

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​                  MUSCLES Hails His Space-Heroes
               50 Years Since the MOON LANDING!

​ 
              ' When I look at the moon, my
              imagination really runs wild.
        Many thoughts race thru' my mind.
    I like to think that the moon is a ball just 
        out-of-reach, and that it's especially
                           meant for me! '

               ' It's been 50 years since the
      first two humans walked on the moon.
 But behind that achievement, many unsung
       animal souls helped blaze those trails. '

        ' You can actually say that humans
             "followed-in-our-pawprints"! '

​     

This picture is from our Winter VIDEO-CARD.......CLICK this PICTURE to get there.

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ABLE and MISS BAKER---------'monkey-nauts'. ********

' We animals were the first earthly living beings
  to pose as astronauts.  It is common knowledge
  that we were the first to reach "outer space".

  America was the first country to put animals 
  in rocket-powered missiles.  The first attempt 
  to launch an animal into "outer space" was in 
  1948.  America chose to "test" space missions
  with monkeys. 

  Albert I, a rhesus monkey, was chosen for the
  first sub-orbital spaceflight to "test" the effects
  of rapid acceleration and weightlessness.
  He did not survive in flight.  In 1949, the
​  subsequent monkey was implanted with
  sensors to monitor his vital signs during the
  mission.  This 'monkey-naut', named Albert II,
  did not survive the impact upon landing. '

      ' For the following decade, no primate survived any trip into "outer space"---
       each one died on impact or during the flight.  It wasn't until 1959 that two
       'monkey-nauts', named Able and Miss Baker, survived spaceflight and were
       recovered safely. They had not orbited. '

FELICETTE a 'kitty-naut'!! ********

     ​    
      ' And as much as I hate to admit it, even a cat
                 named​ Felicette was trained and
             launched into space by France in 1963. 
                The first 'kitty-naut'.  Go figure.... '

            ' But dearest to my doggy-heart are
                       the 'doggo-naut' heroes. ' 
​  
             ' During that same early space-era
                    of the 1940's to the 1960's,
                   the Soviet Union was using
                    dogs instead of monkeys. '

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​             '  The first two dogs, Tsygan and Dezik, 
       were launched by the Soviet Union in 1951.
   They did not orbit, but were the first mammals
     ever successfully recovered from spaceflight.

         In 1960, Belka and Strelka were sent into
           space and orbited 16 times around our
    earthly home.  These two 'doggo-nauts' were
  the first earthly beings to orbit and return alive. '

BELKA and STRELKA--'doggo-nauts'. ********

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                                                      ________________________________________​
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                                                   Laika, My SUPER Space-Hero!

​                      ' But as for me, the true
         unsung hero of them all is Laika.
      Her space mission occurred in 1957,
in between the canine missions cited above.
           She is my SUPER Space-Hero! '

      ' Laika was a "mutt" terrier like me.
She was rescued from the Moscow streets,
      and was selected to be the "muttnik"
​        for the 1957 Sputnik-2 spaceflight.
     She was 3 years old, about 11 pounds
   and described as "quiet and charming". ' 

LAIKA---a SUPER 'Doggo-Naut'! ********

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   ' But first--
     At that time, some scientists believed humans would not be able to survive
     the conditions of a launch or "outer space".  Engineers had viewed animals as
     forerunner "tests" for human missions.  Animal missions were considered
     necessary experiments, intended to reveal whether a living being could 
     survive a launch into orbit and endure micro-gravity.

     From 1951 to 1956, the Soviet Union had launched 12 canines into sub-orbital
     space---and in general, were successful in bringing them home safely. 
     The Soviets intended to "test" a canine in orbit before attempting human 
     spaceflight. 

     The Sputnik-2 was designed to monitor Laika's respiration rate, blood pressure, 
     pulse and body movements.  For this first attempted earth orbit, the spacecraft
     also carried instruments for measuring the sun's light-energy and the high-
     energy radiation of 'cosmic rays'.

     Sputnik-2 was equipped with a life-support system for Laika.  It had an 
     oxygen-generator---a device to avoid excess oxygen---a device to absorb
     carbon dioxide---a fan to activate with excessive temperatures---a feeding
     system she was trained with---and devices to monitor her body functions. '

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  ' Laika had been trained to endure tight
   spaces for long periods of time.  She had
   grown accustomed to wearing a spacesuit,
   and had been placed in flight simulators
   and centrifuges that prepared her for
   flight.  Laika was surgically implanted 
   with sensors to monitor her during the
   mission. '

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   ' Unfortunately, a successful re-entry strategy could not be worked out in time
    for the flight.  Neither was Sputnik-2 designed strongly and sturdy enough to 
    re-enter earth's atmosphere safely. '

********

 
​                     ' Laika was placed on a 
        'one-way-ticket-ride' on November 3,
                            19​57 @ 5:30 AM. 

  It was reported that Laika survived the launch.
    However, during the launch the temperature 
 control system had not deployed properly--and
   some of the thermal insulation had torn loose.
  
     Monitors showed that about 5-7 hours into
     flight no further signs of life were received
        (or by about the fourth circuit of flight).
             
       Sputnik-2 re-entered the atmosphere on
           April 14, 1958 after 162 days in space
​                    and about 2750 orbits!! '

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​    ' The re-entry was seen from the east coast
  of the United States.  The satellite burned and
  broke up upon re-entry, with debris impacted
        in the Amazon region of South America. '

           ' Laika was the first earthly soul to orbit
    our planet.  She proved that an earthly being
              could survive a launch into orbit
                  and endure weightlessness.  

     However, we animals know without a doubt
  that Laika's greatest legacy was bringing global 
     awareness and debate to the mistreatment 
              and testing of animals in science.
          Future space missions carrying dogs 
       would only be designed to be recovered. '

                  ' Laika was one of our own.  
             Our earth was the only home that
           her soul belonged to and ever knew. '
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LAIKA's legacy brought global awareness & debate to the mistreatment & testing of animals. ********

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​ ' From my 'fur'-spective--
   We doggos try to survive what we are experiencing at the moment, just so we 
   can get to the next moment.  Laika was trained to be alone for long periods of 
   time in small confined spaces.  I think I may speak on her behalf for our kind.

   I know that we are ever-trusting and loyal to those we live with and connect to.
   As a matter of fact, our bonds are really the only things that matter to us.
   Our whole lives revolve around these relationship bonds---and they actually
   are the only things that bring us purpose, meaning and joy.
 
   It would have taken about 8-11 minutes to get to orbit.  And Sputnik-2 only had
   that 8-11 minutes to reach 17,500 miles/hour, the speed needed to enter orbit.  
   That means Laika was hurling into earth's orbit at roughly 300 miles/minute---
   or at roughly 5 miles/second!!! 

   This launch would have made Laika's 'capsule-world' more violent and tumultuous
   than it had ever been before.  Monitors showed that she had "hung on" throughout
   the launch, and that she had successfully made it thru' into earth's orbit!

   Once in weightless orbit, I can only think Laika would not have connected her
   whole ordeal with any malicious intent toward her.  It's conceivable that she
   did not even know she had left her earthly home at all.  How could she have?
   How could she have known what "outer space" was?
   How could she have known what humans had planned?
    
   In her doggo world, she had learned to trust those she had known and bonded to.
   She probably was certain that her fellow humans "were somewhere just outside", 
   as they always had been hundreds of times.

   As she orbited earth, I'm sure Laika patiently endured and ever-waited through
   whatever she had to.  Her humans had always been there to rescue her before,
   and this time there was no reason to believe differently.  All she had to do was 
   wait it all out, and everything would be okay again. '
   
                         ' In anyone's world, Laika was a martyr---a true saint!! '

                                           ' After all, that's how we doggos roll.
                             That's the kinda' golden hearts and souls we have. '

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' I'm fine right here on earth--Thank You!! '

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