Top 10 animal astronauts in space
- By Lin Liyao
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E-mail China.org.cn, November 22, 2011
Tortoises
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a space turtle (file picture) |
Year: 1968, 1975, 2010
Country: the Soviet Union, Iran
The Soviet Union launched the first two turtle astronauts on board the spacecraft Zond 5 on September 15, 1968. Three days later, Zond 5 made an orbit of the moon before safely returning to Earth on September 21. The two turtles were unaffected, apart from experiencing slight weight loss.
From November 17, 1975 to February 16, 1976, the Soviet Soyuz 20 mission kept tortoises in space for 90 days and 12 hours, setting a duration record for animals in space.
On February 3, 2010, Iran became the latest country sending tortoises into space, when two turtles, a mouse and some worms were sent aboard the Kavoshgar 3 rocket before returning safely to Earth.
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