GEOFF BOTTOMS relishes a profoundly human portrait of a family as it evolves across 55 years in Sheffield
Space Dogs: The Story of the Celebrated Canine Cosmonauts
Fascinating account of the Soviet dogs who conquered space
UNLIKE the US space-flight pioneers — monkeys who couldn’t handle the pressure and were nervous wrecks on their return — Soviet scientists found that Moscow’s stray dogs were far more amenable and relaxed about the whole extra-planetary experience.
Street-wise ruffians, they displayed intelligence, enterprise and solidarity. Each candidate was observed for weeks before snatch squads stepped in and scooped them up and then they were put through rigorous training.
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