A portrait of Strelka from the Soviet Orbit Program titled Sputnik. She was my favorite of the four. In all the photographs from their training, she always had a smile on her face. The other three were Chernushka, Zvezdochka and Belka.

Strelka and Belka were launched into orbit together aboard the Sputnik 2. They were accompanied by a grey rabbit, 42 mice, 2 rats, flies and several plants and fungi. All passengers survived. They were the first Earth-born creatures to go into orbit and return alive. August 19, 1960.