In addition to 40 mice, 2 more rats, one gray rabbit, flies and several plants, and two dogs, named Bjelka and Strjelka (both females), were sent into space on the same flight.
After launching the first living thing into orbit in 1957, the dog Laika, on August 19, 1960, the Soviets sent two more dogs, 40 mice, and a host of other animals and plants into space on the same flight. Unlike Laika, who died in orbit from stress and overheating, these animals all successfully returned to Earth. They were the first living beings to go into orbit and then return alive to the surface of our planet.
The spaceship was called Ship-Sputnik 2, where ship in Russian means ship, and satellite means satellite (from the Latin satelles – companion, server). There were two dogs on that ship, named Bjelka and Strelka (both females), one gray rabbit, 40 mice, 2 rats, flies and several plants.
