Even before Laika set paw in Sputnik 2, Soviet researchers sent dogs
into higher altitudes than any canine creature had traveled before. To
help keep those dogs safe—and to test the equipment that would allow
humans to eventually reach orbit—these scientists created high pressure
suits, complete with helmets fitted to dogs' heads.
Retronaut
posted a handful of photos of the early high-pressure suits, which give
us a sense of how well they fit those aerial pooches (not terribly
well, in some cases). Sadly, only a handful of these suits remain; the
rest have fallen apart over the decades. The tan suit with the laces is
currently on display at the National Space Centre in Leicester, England. The Guardian
has a video of the suit arriving at the Space Centre and space
communications manager Kevin Yates discussing the history of these
proto-space suits.
Personally, I'd be interested in seeing
footage of the dogs donning these suits for the first time. I'd imagine
that for many pooches, being enclosed in a clear helmet and muffling
suit was as disorienting as being launched from Earth.
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