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Posted on 08/15/2025 5:33:29 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Her sacrifice paved the way for future human spaceflight, leaving her a lasting legacy as one of the early pioneers of space exploration.
Who was Laika? The stray dog who sacrificed her life for space mission
The Soviet Union made history by sending the first living creature into space, a stray dog named Laika, on November 3, 1957. The mission was intended to find out if space travel would be safe for humans. Unfortunately, it was a one-way trip, as there was no technology to bring her back to Earth.
Found wandering the streets of Moscow a few days before launch, Laika was chosen because of her small size and calm temperament, making her ideal for the confined spaceflight. After a brief but intense training period, she was placed on Sputnik 2 and launched into orbit, alone, far from her home.
Her sacrifice paved the way for future human spaceflight, leaving her a lasting legacy as one of the early pioneers of space exploration.
Who was Laika?
Laika was a small mixed-breed bitch and her real name was Kudryavka, which means little curly in Russian. She got the name Laika, which means barker, after she barked during a live interview. In the US, some people jokingly called her Mutnik, a portmanteau of 'mutt' and 'sputnik'. She weighed about 13 pounds (6 kilograms) during her space flight.
Why was Laika chosen?
This stray dog was chosen for this mission because she was used to living in harsh conditions.
Like other stray dogs selected for space missions, Laika's training was extremely rigorous. The dogs were kept in cages to get used to the cramped space inside the Sputnik 2 cabin, which got smaller over time. The stressful conditions took a toll on them as the dogs refused to eat and, despite being given medication, stopped going to the toilet. The night before Laika's launch, one of the mission's scientists, Dr. Vladimir Yazdovsky, spent some special time with her. As everyone knew, she would not survive the flight, so he wanted to give her a last moment of comfort. He took her home to play with his children. He just wanted to do something nice for her as she had very little time left.
What was Laika's mission?
Laika's space mission, called Korabl-Sputnik 2, was planned by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, when both the Soviet Union and the US were trying to reach space. In 1957, Laika was launched into orbit in a small, compact cabin that was built quickly. Scientists had attached small devices to her body to monitor her heart rate and breathing. The spacecraft continued to orbit the Earth and send vital information. Unfortunately, a few hours later, the cabin became too hot and Laika died. Her mission provided scientists with useful information about life in space.
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She shall aways be circling our large planet and shall never be forgotten.
What does this person think they are, an elementary school teacher?
I am sure it was done Kindly.
Bah.
Arthur C. Clarke’s tribute to Laika
https://xpressenglish.com/our-stories/dog-star/
Of course I wasn't too thrilled either with the way Russians sacrificed dogs to kill enemy tanks.
Well, they didn’t even value the lives of their own soldiers any more than the dogs. They would wipe out one of their own divisions, if it was in the way.
good girl
Wouldn’t her capsule have de-orbited by now?
I like to think of Laika endlessly circling the Earth, looking down on us with her sad eyes.
OK, high school physics nerds, what's wrong with that sentence?
Laika massed 13 kilograms during the orbit.
6 kilograms.
Typing in hurry.....
“Wouldn’t her capsule have de-orbited by now?”
The problem with that flight was that they didn’t have a heat shield, so she was doomed. I believe after that, the dogs survived.
Which dogs?
Apparently the Soviets sent 11 other dogs on orbital and sub-orbital flights, 2 of which were the first animals to orbit and survive.
You got it!!
Typical know-nothing reporter.
Sorry, just Laika.
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