Vladimir Yazdovsky Explained

Vladimir Yazdovsky (1913–1999) was a Russian physician in the former Soviet space program.

Yazdovsky was a veteran surgeon and army doctor who joined the Institute for Aviation and Medeicine in Moscow in 1948.^[1] There, in the early 1950s, Yazdovsky assisted Sergei Korolev in tests using small animals in sub-orbital spaceflight.^[2] His team of researchers helped gather strays from Moscow and helped design various safety measures such as space suits and life-support systems.^[3]

In 1957 he prepared the dog Laika, the first animal to orbit, the Earth for Sputnik 2.^[4] In 1960 Yazdovsky prepared the dogs Belka and Strelka for Korabl-Sputnik 2, the first spaceflight to launch animals into orbit and return them alive to Earth.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Amy Nelson, "Cold War Celebrity and the Courageous Canine Scout" in James T. Andrews and Asif A. Siddiqi Into the Cosmos: Space Exploration and Soviet Culture(Pittsburgh, PA: U of Pittsburgh 2011)p. 136
2. Web site: A Brief History of Animals in Space. 18 January 1998 . NASA. 31 August 2013.
3. Amy Nelson, "Cold War Celebrity and the Courageous Canine Scout" in James T. Andrews and Asif A. Siddiqi Into the Cosmos: Space Exploration and Soviet Culture(Pittsburgh, PA: U of Pittsburgh 2011)p. 136
4. News: 50 years ago, a dog paved way for space travel. 6 November 2007. The Age. Fairfax Media. 31 August 2013.
5. News: Soviet Space dogs honored on 50th anniversary of flight. Isachenkov. Vladimir. 20 August 2010. The Christian Science Monitor. Christian Science Publishing Society. 31 August 2013.