Soviet space dogs: Dezik and Tsygan were launched into a sub-orbital spaceflight from Kapustin Yar and became the first dogs to fly in space and the first to safely return.
Dezik and Tsygan were the first two Soviet space dogs and, during their suborbital flight on July 22, 1951, the first dogs to fly into space. Dezik became the first two-time space traveler during a suborbital flight later in 1951, but was killed when the parachute failed to deploy.




Watch: Dezik and Tsygan - 1951. First dog in space | Sub-orbital flight | Russia
From the Popular Russia channel.
Sources and further reading: Wikipedia — Dezik and Tsygan, Soviet space dogs, Sub-orbital spaceflight, Kapustin Yar (CC BY-SA). Images: Wikimedia Commons.