Tortoises Triumph: Soviet Spacecraft Circles Moon First

The Lunar Race of the Cold War

In a surprising space race victory, a Soviet spacecraft beat the Americans to orbit the Moon. However, the intrepid pioneers weren’t humans; they were two tortoises! This fascinating historical moment, occurring in 1968, offers a unique look into the Cold War space rivalry.

Zond 5’s Historic Journey

On September 18, 1968, the Soviet Union’s Zond 5 mission accomplished a lunar orbit. This feat preceded the NASA Apollo 8 mission by months. Zond 5’s crew consisted of two tortoises, alongside worms, flies, and seeds.

These tortoises were part of a research effort to assess the effects of space travel on living beings. This event happened roughly a decade after the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1, the world’s initial artificial satellite, which shocked the United States, sparking the Space Race. The rivalry involved both countries undertaking ever more ambitious and costly space missions.

The Soviet Union encountered several setbacks by the late 1960s, including the tragic death of cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov. The Soviets lacked the necessary launch vehicles to send a spacecraft around the Moon and back with the supplies a crew would need.

The Tortoises’ Mission

To gain a symbolic triumph, the Soviets sent the tortoises. The mission’s plan involved sending them into space, orbiting the Moon, and then safely returning them to Earth, and it proved to be successful. The tortoises, native to regions like Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, were launched on September 14, 1968.

Before the launch, the tortoises, were kept in the spacecraft without food. Soviet scientists were concerned that the tortoises’ food consumption would interfere with the data collection of the mission. The craft orbited the Moon for four days, making the tortoises the first living creatures to make this journey. The tortoises were safely recovered on September 21, 1968, after landing in the Indian Ocean. Although they had lost weight, the “astro-torts” remained in good health after their adventure.

According to recent reports, the cost of space exploration has increased by 20% in the last decade (Space Industry Report), reflecting the complex challenges and technological advancements in the field.

Conclusion

Though the first to orbit the Moon, the Soviet Union’s achievement, while groundbreaking, is a reminder of the surprising ways in which space exploration has been undertaken.