By David A. Graham
In 2010, space travel has become so common that many people don't even notice when a country sends fliers into space. But 50 years ago it wasn't so clear that animals could go to and from space safely. So, when on Aug. 19, 1960, the Soviet Union was able to launch a pair of dogs into orbit and bring them back in one piece, it got major bragging rights in the Cold War space race. Although Yuri Gagarin and John Glenn are celebrated as early heroes of the space race, it's dogs like Strelka, Belka, and their host of furry—or slimy or wet—comrades who were the true pioneers of the final frontier. Here's a gallery devoted to their memory.
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