Belka and Strelka were two Soviet space dogs who became famous for their historic flight in 1960. They were launched into space aboard the spacecraft Sputnik 5 on August 19, 1960. The mission aimed to study the effects of space travel on living organisms. After orbiting the Earth for nearly a day, Belka and Strelka safely returned, making them the first animals to complete a space mission and return alive. Their successful flight contributed to the development of human space travel and helped pave the way for future missions, including those involving astronauts like Yuri Gagarin.