
This book is dedicated to the Soviet Space Dogs, who played a crucial part in the Soviet Space programme. These homeless dogs, plucked from the streets of Moscow, were selected because they fitted the programmes criteria: weighing no more than 7kg, measuring no more than 35cm in length, robust, photogenic & with a calm temperament. These characteristics enabled the dogs to withstand the extensive training that was needed to prepare them for suborbital, then for orbital space fights. On 3 November 1957, the dog Laika was the first Earth-born creature to enter space, making her instantly famous around the world. She did not return. Her death, a few hours after launching, transformed her into a legendary symbol of sacrifice. Two further strays, Belka & Strelka, were the first beings to make it back from space, & were swiftly immortalized in childrens books & cartoons. Images of the Space Dogs proliferated, reproduced on everyday goods across the Soviet Union: cigarette packets, tins of sweets, badges, stamps & postcards all bore their likeness. This book uses these unique items to illustrate the story (in fact & fiction) of how they became fairy-tale idols. Monuments now commemorate their pioneering role in conquering the final frontier: their heroism will never be forgotten.