On this day in space: Feb. 22, 1966: Soviet space dogs launch on record-setting mission

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On Feb. 22, 1966, two Soviet space dogs launched on a mission that would set a new record for the longest spaceflight.

On Feb. 22, 1966, two Soviet space dogs launched on a mission that would set a new record for the longest spaceflight.

Two small dogs, one brown and black and one black and white, are held by a female technician

Veterok and Ugolyok, two Soviet space dogs, were launched on a mission that would set a new record for the longest spaceflight on Feb. 22, 1966. (Image credit: Roscosmos)

This record was not surpassed by humans until 1971, and the record has never been surpassed by dogs!

The space dogs returned to Earth safe and sound, and their contributions to the Soviet space program helped pave the way for humans to safely fly in space, too.

On This Day in Space: See our full 365-day video archive!

Hanneke Weitering
Hanneke Weitering
Contributing expert

Hanneke Weitering is a multimedia journalist in the Pacific Northwest reporting on the future of aviation at FutureFlight.aero and Aviation International News and was previously the Editor for Spaceflight and Astronomy news here at Space.com. As an editor with over 10 years of experience in science journalism she has previously written for Scholastic Classroom Magazines, MedPage Today and The Joint Institute for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After studying physics at the University of Tennessee in her hometown of Knoxville, she earned her graduate degree in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting (SHERP) from New York University. Hanneke joined the Space.com team in 2016 as a staff writer and producer, covering topics including spaceflight and astronomy. She currently lives in Seattle, home of the Space Needle, with her cat and two snakes. In her spare time, Hanneke enjoys exploring the Rocky Mountains, basking in nature and looking for dark skies to gaze at the cosmos. 

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