№ 1455. 50th anniversary of space flight of Belka and Strelka

Postage stamp is devoted to the 50th anniversary of flight of the spaceship “Sputnik-5” with the dogs Belka and Strelka on board, which took place on August 19, 1960. Dogs became the first living creatures, which have safely returned to the Earth after orbital flight. Launching of animals in space was carefully prepared: a spaceship was equipped with biomedical apparatus, which fixed all the changes that occurred in their organisms during the flight, and special survival suits were created for "cosmonauts". The aim of the experiment was to study the impact of space radiation on life forms, as well as checking of the effectiveness of various life-support systems.
The stamp depicts Belka and Strelka against the background of the Earth and starry sky.