The Soviet Union launched “Sputnik 2” on November 3, 1957, and made history by sending a dog named Laika because the first living thing to circle the Earth. Laika’s flight, which was intended to check the security of human space travel, clothed to be a one-way trip. Here’s a glance back at Laika’s selection for the mission, the Soviet Union’s decision to send an animal into space, and whether there are any other instances of sending animals into space since the Sputnik 2 mission 65 years ago.
She was a stray dog found in Moscow’s streets exactly one week before Sputnik 2 launched. NASA claims that Kudryavka, a female part-Samoyed terrier, was Laika’s original moniker (Little Curly). Laika is one of the earliest animal in space that reached Earth’s Orbit.
Laika : Not Alone
Despite her popularity, She wasn’t the primary dog in space however; the Soviet Union launched two dogs in 1951 by the names of Dezik and Tsygan. She features a particular position in history, although the United States may have launched fruit flies into space before sending other animals. She cleared the trail for upcoming space research as the first mammal to orbit the Earth. The Sputnik program of the Soviet Union tested the viability of long-term space travel in addition to placing the first satellite or live thing into orbit.
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From Failure to Lesson
Unfortunately, Laika’s assignment wasn’t very lengthy. Several Russian sources stated decades later that she lived in orbit for four days before dying from cabin overheating. Other versions claim that the dog died only five or six hours into the trip thanks to excessive hyperthermia.
She was an important test subject for humans to learn more about the effects of space travel on living things. during this way, her sacrifice paved the way for later manned space missions. Between 1957 and 1961, variety of more Sputnik missions were launched, each carrying a comparable satellite. These missions collected information on space temperatures, pressures, particles, radiation, and magnetic fields also as testing reentry methods. These experiments’ findings prepared the way for upcoming manned spaceflight missions.
Other Animal’s Headed For Space
- Fruit Flies
- Albert II (Rhesus Macaque)
- Mice
- Tortoises
- Frog
- Anita and Arabella (Spiders)
- Fish
- Tardigrades