Laika was the first living creature to orbit Earth, a Soviet space dog launched aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957, who died a few hours after liftoff due to overheating. It was a small stray dog found wandering the streets of Moscow. She was part Siberian Husky and part Terrier, known for her calm temperament and resilience—qualities that made her a good candidate for space travel. Before her flight, Laika lived at a Soviet research facility where scientists trained her for the mission ahead.

The Mission: Sputnik 2

On November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, the second spacecraft in their Sputnik program, with Laika aboard. The mission's primary objective was to assess the feasibility of sustaining life in orbit and to gather biomedical data on the physiological effects of spaceflight on mammals. The goal was to understand how spaceflight might affect living beings, a step before sending humans into space.

Laika (BBC)

Life Inside the Capsule

Laika was confined in a small, specially designed capsule equipped with life-support systems that supplied oxygen and food gel. The capsule had sensors to monitor her vital signs and a harness to keep her secure during launch. Despite the cramped and stressful conditions.  She was housed and trained at the Institute for Aviation Medicine in Moscow, where she underwent extensive conditioning, including confinement in increasingly smaller spaces, exposure to simulated launch noises, and the ingestion of a gelatinous food substance that would be used aboard the spacecraft. 

The Outcome and Legacy

Laika’s journey was one-way as the technology to safely bring her back to Earth did not exist at the time. Initial reports claimed she survived several days in orbit, but later information revealed she died just hours after launch due to overheating caused by a failure in the spacecraft’s temperature control.

Although Laika’s death was anticipated, her mission was a pivotal step in human spaceflight. The biological data obtained were instrumental in designing life-support systems and refining protocols for later manned missions, culminating in Yuri Gagarin’s successful orbital flight in 1961.

Remembering Laika

Laika’s legacy remains complex. She became a symbol of both scientific advancement and the ethical controversies surrounding the use of animals in research. Her story prompted international discussion on animal welfare in space programs. Over time, the Soviet Union acknowledged the moral costs of her sacrifice. In 2008, Russia unveiled a monument near the Moscow military research facility where she was trained, commemorating Laika and her contribution to space exploration. Her story continues to be recounted in books, documentaries, and academic studies, reflecting her role in one of the most consequential experiments of the early space age.