Images Dated 13th June 2003

Belka, Soviet space dog, after the mission

Space animal. Belka, one of the dogs on board the second spacecraft to carry animals into orbit, after the mission. Belka was launched in the Soviet Korabl-Sputnik 2 (also called Sputnik 5) on 19 August 1960. Belka (meaning "squirrel") was accompanied by another dog, 40 mice, 2 rats and some plants. The spacecraft orbited for one day, completing 18 revolutions around the Earth. It re- entered the atmosphere and the animals were recovered successfully. Belka's mission helped to pave the way for the first manned spaceflight the following year. Photographed during an "interview" with Radio Moscow

© RIA NOVOSTI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

False-colour SEM of adenoviruses on red blood cell

False-colour scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a group of adenoviruses (yellow) on the surface of a red blood cell of a chicken. Adenoviruses are the causative agents of many respiratory diseases. The viruses are about 80 nanometres in diameter, and do not have the lipoprotein envelope associated with many other virus genera. The genome of the adenovirus is double-stranded and linear DNA. Adenoviruses were first isolated from human adenoidal glands. Magnification x5700 at 6x7cm size

© CNRI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY