Space beckons us - this statement is undeniable.General facts about the attempts of humanity to win its limitless space in varying degrees, are known to all.One of the most striking examples - Belka and Strelka - famous dog astronauts who first managed to return from a complex and dangerous extraterrestrial journey safe and sound.But this is not the only animals who have been in space.Ask any of his friend: "What are the first animals circled around the Moon?"Man, capable of giving the right answer to this question would have to look carefully.
little helpers scientists
first living organisms into space were merely fly Drosophila, the Americans sent in 1947 to study the effects of radiation at high altitude.They came back safe and sound, in his specially equipped capsule landed using a parachute.
Their mission continued monkey Albert 1 and Albert-2 (United States), as well as about a dozen dogs (USSR).Also on the list of astronauts appears fluffy one single cat Felisett.She was sent into orbit in France in 1963.All animals, unfortunately, died during the flight.
And only after 12 years of attempts and experiments, Soviet scientists were able to return furry astronauts back to full safety.Belka and Strelka successfully circled around the Earth.
Advances
Conquests continued, and the most important task was to investigate the scientific satellite of our planet.Just like when you start flying devices into orbit, the first in the way animals are gone.Leafless around the moon, they have pioneered a new direction and a space as close as possible to the satellite for a few months before the landing of American astronauts on it.
What animals circled around the Moon first
If we consider only vertebrate, the first satellite to terrestrial turtles arrived.It is worth noting that they are representatives of a rare Central Asian species.The flight took place in September 1968 in the Soviet unmanned "Zond-5".
Not surprisingly, the first to which animals circled around the Moon.The choice for the role of turtles was by no means accidental.We stopped on them because they require very little oxygen to sustain life.In addition, turtles almost not needed nutrients, as most of the flight they spent in lethargy.
Turtles were not the only passengers drone.During the flight, there were also already experienced "cosmonauts": fly Drosophila, some bacteria and plants.
Details dangerous journey
interesting to know not only what the first animals circled around the Moon, but also about how they did it.The flight itself was uneventful.The aircraft left the surface of the Earth on 15 September.The trajectory of the first time has been adjusted at a distance of 325,000 km from the point of departure.Three days later (18 September) the ship orbited the moon at a distance of 1960 kilometers from the surface.September 21 device, weighing just over two tons, entered the earth's atmosphere to escape velocity.
"Zond-5" successfully landed in the Indian Ocean.Open it in the laboratory TSKBEM in Moscow, and from there transferred to the scientists for further study.During space travel turtle lost a small part of its weight, about 10%.As a result, large overloads one of them lost her eye.But in general, the health of the passengers the flight has not made dramatically negative impact.
Unfortunately, the names of turtles astronauts remained unknown.Maybe that's why few people know what the animals circled around the Moon first.
