Logo

Dimdima

Online Children's Magazine from India

  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
  • dimdima
Menu

Space Exploration - 11

Man’s Best Friend In Orbit

The successful launches of Explorer and Vanguard boosted American morale, but not for long. In May 1958 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 3, an instrument-packed satellite weighing a massive 1.3 tonnes (Explorer and Vanguard weighed 14 kg and 1.5 kg respectively).
It was clear that the Soviets had powerful launch vehicles, and were preparing to launch a man into orbit. In May 1960 they launched the 4.5 tonne Sputnik 4. This was a dress rehearsal for a manned space flight. Sputnik 4 went into orbit without a hitch, but when its retro-rockets were fired to slow it down so that it could return to Earth, it was facing the wrong way, and instead of coming down, the spacecraft went into a higher orbit. It remained in orbit for five months before eventually burning up in the atmosphere.
Sputnik 5, launched on 19 August, 1960 met with spectacular success. It carried two dogs, Belka (Squirrel) and Strelka (Little Arrow). The capsule was brought down the next day, and the dogs became celebrities as the first living things to return from orbit. However, the Soviets could not duplicate this success in Sputnik 6, which was launched on December 1, 1960. It re-entered the atmosphere at too steep an angle, after a day in orbit, and burned up. Unfortunately this spacecraft too carried two dogs, which, of course, perished.
The last Sputnik was launched on March 25, 1961. It carried the dog, Zvezdochka (Little Star) and a dummy cosmonaut on a one-orbit trip. Both the spacecraft and its passenger returned safely.
Man’s best friend had shown the way, now it only remained for the man to follow.

Ask A Question...
Answer A Question...
  • Do you have a Science Question?
  • Post it here and get the answer.
  • Some questions posted by others are not yet answered.
  • View those questions and answer them.
Get Help or Give Help.
Our Logo

Dimdima is the Sanskrit word for ‘drumbeat’. In olden days, victory in battle was heralded by the beat of drums or any important news to be conveyed to the people used to be accompanied with drumbeats.

Dimdima.com

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
K. M Munshi Marg,
Chowpatty, Mumbai - 400 007
email : editor@dimdima.com

Dimdima Magazine

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
505, Sane Guruji Marg,
Tardeo, Mumbai - 400 034
email : promo@dimdima.com

About

Dimdima.com, the Children's Website of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan launched in 2000 and came out with a Printed version of Dimdima Magazine in 2004. At present the Printed Version have more than 35,000 subscribers from India and Abroad.

Terms of Use | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Testimonials | Feedback | About Us | Link to Us | Links | Advertise with Us |
Copyright © 2021 dimdima.com. All Rights Reserved.