Space Tortoises Circled the Moon in 1968 and Came Home Safe
Two Russian tortoises became the first animals to loop around the moon and return to Earth alive in 1968. Their brave journey helped pave the way for the first human moonwalks just months later. #
Picture this: two small tortoises strapped into a Soviet spacecraft, about to become the first living creatures to travel around the moon and make it home safely.
That's exactly what happened on September 15, 1968, when the Soviet Union launched Zond 5 on a historic weeklong journey. The spacecraft carried two Russian steppes tortoises, along with wine flies, mealworms, plants, and seeds on the first deep space animal mission in history.
The tortoises spent three days traveling to the moon, looped around it, and headed back to Earth. The plan was to land in Kazakhstan, but the guidance system failed and the capsule splashed down in the Indian Ocean instead on September 21.
When Soviet recovery teams finally opened the capsule weeks later in Moscow, they found both tortoises alive and well. The little astronauts had lost some weight during their adventure, but they were otherwise healthy after becoming the first Earthlings to see the far side of the moon.
Why This Inspires
This mission wasn't just about sending animals on a joyride through space. The successful flight proved that living creatures could survive the intense journey to the moon and back, clearing the path for human exploration.
The mission may have actually accelerated the Space Race in the best possible way. When NASA saw that the Soviets had successfully sent life around the moon, they likely felt inspired to move faster with their own plans. Just three months later, Apollo 8 became the first crewed mission to circle the moon, bringing humanity one giant leap closer to Neil Armstrong's historic first steps.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. While Zond 5 was making history, U.S. satellites were spotting Soviet moon rockets on launch pads. This friendly competition between nations pushed both sides to achieve what seemed impossible just years earlier.
Today, you can visit the actual Zond 5 capsule at the RSC Energia museum in Korolev, Russia. It stands as a reminder that sometimes the smallest explorers make the biggest breakthroughs.
Those two tortoises didn't just survive a trip around the moon—they helped prove that humans could follow in their tiny footsteps.
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Based on reporting by Space.com
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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