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The retrorockets that fired too long sealed the dogs' fate

A Soviet space mission goes awry when retrorockets fail, sending a capsule with two dogs towards foreign territory. The space program faces a critical decision.

The retrorockets that fired too long sealed the dogs' fate

This episode recounts the December 1960 Soviet space mission carrying two dogs, Pchyolka and Mushka, which faced an unexpected trajectory change. It explores the protocol that led to a swift, irreversible command.

Date: December 1, 1960

Animals: Pchyolka and Mushka

Program: Soviet space program

Spacecraft: Korabl-Sputnik two (Sputnik three)

- The Soviet space program recruited…

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