Space, a dog’s final frontier
QUESTION Was a fruit fly the first creature sent into space? Biological experiments on rockets started shortly after the end of World War ii at White Sands, New Mexico, using captured V-2 rockets.
Harvard biologists, with scientists from the U.S. Naval Research laboratory, sent consignments of seeds up in 1946, but the first animals sent into space were, indeed, fruit flies, on February 20, 1947.
The purpose of the experiment was to explore the effects of radiation exposure at high altitudes. The rocket reached 68 miles (109 km) in three minutes and ten seconds, past the U.S. air Force 50-mile and the international 100 km definitions of the boundary of space.
The Blossom capsule was ejected and successfully deployed its parachute. The fruit flies were recovered alive.
albert ii, a small Rhesus, became the first monkey in space in a U. S.- launched V-2 rocket on June 14, 1949. The rocket reached the height of 83 miles (134 km), but albert ii died after a parachute failure.
For the next few years after 1948, scientists, led by Dr J. P. Henry, launched successful flights with mice and monkeys as passengers. Besides their interest in the effects of radiation, these investigators made valuable observations on the behaviour of animals in the absence of gravitational forces.
as the supply of V-2 rockets diminished, biological experiments involving rockets came to a halt in the U.S. in 1952, and an inactive six years followed, during which time the Soviets began sending animals, mainly dogs, into space.
The first, named Tsygan and Dezik, were launched by the Soviet Union on July 22, 1951. They reached an altitude of 68 miles ( 110 km) and both were recovered unharmed. another dog, laika, became the first animal in orbit, aboard Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957, but she died when the oxygen supply ran out.
Chris Bannerman, Sutton-on-Sea, Lincs. QUESTION Did Queen Alexandra (1844-1925), consort of Edward VII, die intestate? PRiNceSS alexandra of Denmark was born in copenhagen on December 1, 1844, the eldest daughter of the future King christian iX and Queen louise.
of her five siblings, her eldest brother later became King Frederik Viii of Denmark; the second brother, William (the grandfather of Prince Philip, Duke of edinburgh), was elected King george i of greece; her sister, Dagmar, became empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia (mother of the ill-fated Tsar Nicholas ii), Thyra married the dispossessed heir to the Kingdom of Hanover and Valdemar refused a crown.
alexandra’s destiny changed when she was approved by Queen Victoria as a bride for albert edward, Prince of Wales. From the moment she arrived in england for her wedding in March 1863, alexandra’s beauty and charm took the country by storm and even Queen Victoria couldn’t praise her enough. alfred, lord Tennyson, the Poet laureate, hailed her as ‘the sea king’s daughter from over the sea’.
The couple lived at Marlborough House in london and Sandringham in Norfolk.
She tolerated her husband’s infidelities with grace, never ceased to love him and stood by him even when he was called as a witness in a divorce case in 1870.
among her six children, her eldest son, albert Victor, Duke of clarence, died in 1892; her second son became King george V and her daughter, Maud, became Queen of Norway. another son lived for only 24 hours. alexandra was a devoted mother who treated her brood as children long after they’d grown up.
With the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, her husband became King edward Vii. Queen alexandra, always elegantly gowned and bejewelled, helped to restore ceremony to the monarchy.
The new Queen reorganised the army Nursing Services, becoming president of Queen alexandra’s imperial Military Nursing Service (QaiMNS). She was honorary president of the central Red cross committee, patron of Dr Barnardo’s and was involved with many other organisations and charities.
When King edward died on May 6, 1910, alexandra could not bear to part with his body. ‘after all,’ she is said to have remarked, ‘he always loved me the best.’ Despite her almost complete deafness and increasing vagueness, alexandra enjoyed a serene old age as the beloved Queen Dowager.
She’s particularly remembered for alexandra Rose Day. From 1912 on, she drove through the streets of london while volunteers sold artificial wild roses to raise money for charity.
During World War i she investigated the treatment of prisoners of war, gave generously to charity and visited hospitals. She died on November 20, 1925.
When i was researching my biography of empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia, i approached the Royal archives to inquire whether Queen alexandra had left any jewellery to her exiled sister.
The reply i received was that ‘Queen alexandra left no formal will’.
Mrs Coryne hall, Whitehill, hampshire WHeN Queen alexandra died intestate in 1925, her three remaining children — Queen Maud of Norway, Princess Victoria of Wales and King george V (along with Queen Mary) — met at Sandringham to divide all of her belongings in equal portions among them.
This led to speculation about some of her magnificent jewellery. of particular interest was an item popularly known as the Rundell Tiara.
The magnificent piece was in the style of a coronet. The base consisted of two rows of diamonds with ten large brilliants in between and smaller diamonds connecting the ten larger stones.
according to Hugh Roberts’s book, The Queen’s Diamonds, the piece went to Victoria and she disposed of it.
Louise Powell, Brighton. QUESTION I noticed that Boris Johnson’s Brexit lorry is a French-made Renault. Are there still any British-made lorries? FURTHeR to the earlier answer, the Northern irish firm SDc is worth a mention. While it does not make trucks, it is one of the largest trailer manufacturers in europe.
established in Toomebridge, Northern ireland, in 1978, the business expanded with the acquisition of Neville charrold in Nottinghamshire in 1994 and the integration of MDF in 1998.
SDc’s production plants are in Toomebridge and antrim in Northern ireland, and in Mansfield, england.
it supplies trailers to many of europe’s leading haulage firms, including the Stobart group. Peter Jay, Leeds.