Laika Dog Photo: The First Animal in Space

Laika, the Soviet space dog, was launched into space on November 3, 1957.

Laika was a stray dog from Moscow, weighing around 11 pounds.

She was selected from a group of 40 dogs for the Sputnik 2 mission.

Laika was trained to withstand the physical and emotional stress of space travel.

On board Sputnik 2, Laika was equipped with a special harness to keep her secure during launch.

Take a look at this: Laika Space Dog Breed

Laika was a black-and-white mutt originally named Kudrayavka, or Little Curly. Her later name, which means Barker, came about when she barked during a radio interview.

Laika weighed about 13 pounds (6 kilograms) at the time of her flight. Laika's launch pad to fame were the streets of Moscow, where Soviet rocket scientists collected stray dogs to better understand what launch, microgravity and other aspects of spaceflight might do to a human body.

The researchers selected the most obedient and those most tolerant of loud noises and air pressure changes. Laika's back-up was named Albina (White); rumors suggest that the Russian spaceflight engineers made Laika their first choice because they were more attached to Albina, who had recently had puppies.

Laika's flight was a significant milestone in the Soviet space program. Laika's story is a testament to the dedication and perseverance of the scientists who worked on the Soviet space program.

Here are some key facts about Laika's story:

Laika, a Soviet space dog, was launched on November 3, 1957, aboard Sputnik 2.

Laika weighed around 11 pounds and was a stray dog from Moscow.

The mission was to test the safety of spaceflight for living organisms and to gather data on the effects of space travel on a living creature.

Laika was not expected to survive the flight, and her death was confirmed a few hours after launch.

The spacecraft was designed to orbit the Earth for a month, but Laika's death occurred much sooner due to overheating and stress.

The mission was a significant milestone in the history of space exploration and paved the way for future human spaceflight.

Laika's legacy lives on as a symbol of the risks and sacrifices made in the pursuit of scientific progress.

Discover more: Laika Dog Body

Laika was a stray dog found wandering the streets of Moscow, and Soviet scientists chose her because they thought she was already accustomed to harsh conditions.

She was a 5 kg (11 lb) mongrel female, approximately three years old, with a true pedigree that's unknown but possibly part husky or other Nordic breed.

Laika was given several names and nicknames, including Kudryavka (Little Curly), Zhuchka (Little Bug), and Limonchik (Little Lemon), before being popularized as Laika, a name that literally translates to "Barker" in Russian.

The American press referred to her as Muttnik, a pun on Sputnik.

To adapt her to the tiny cabin of Sputnik2, Laika was kept in progressively smaller cages for periods of up to twenty days, which caused her to stop urinating or defecating.

Long periods of training proved effective in preparing Laika for the flight.

Laika's temperament was described as phlegmatic, meaning she didn't quarrel with other dogs.

Before the launch, Laika was chosen as the primary flight dog by Vladimir Yazdovsky, who took her home to play with his children ten days before the launch.

Laika's respiration increased to between three and four times the pre-launch rate at peak acceleration.

The sensors showed her heart rate was 103 beats/min before launch and increased to 240 beats/min during the early acceleration.

After reaching orbit, the "Block A" core did not separate as planned, preventing the thermal control system from operating correctly.

Some of the thermal insulation tore loose, raising the cabin temperature to 40 °C (104 °F).

Laika's pulse rate had settled back to 102 beats/min after three hours of weightlessness, three times longer than it had taken during earlier ground tests.

The early telemetry indicated that Laika was agitated but eating her food.

After approximately five to seven hours into the flight, no further signs of life were received from the spacecraft.

Laika died by the fourth circuit of flight from overheating, according to Dimitri Malashenkov, one of the scientists behind the Sputnik2 mission.

Sputnik2 disintegrated during re-entry on 14 April 1958, after 2,570 orbits.

Animal testing ethics were a major concern after Laika's mission. The press initially focused on the political perspective, but later highlighted the mistreatment of animals.

In the 1950s, animal rights groups across the globe protested against the Soviet Union's decision to send a dog into space. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals received protests even before the launch announcement.

The Soviet Union's lack of open discussion about the ethics of the mission was notable. Neither the media nor the public questioned the decision to send a dog into space, but after the collapse of the Soviet regime, one of the scientists responsible expressed regret.

Oleg Gazenko, a scientist involved in Laika's mission, said that working with animals is a source of suffering. He regretted allowing Laika to die, stating that they shouldn't have done it.

In other Warsaw Pact countries, open criticism of the Soviet space program was difficult due to political censorship. However, there were notable cases of criticism in Polish scientific circles, with one scientist describing the mission as "regrettable".