Laika, First Dog to Orbit Earth

Rana Atef

On this day in 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first living creature, Laika dog, into space on the Sputnik 2 spaceship. She was the first living creature and animal to orbit the Earth. It took her about 103 minutes.

It was a stray dog wandering in Moscow streets before its selection to join the ambitious Soviet space program. The scientists of the program selected only female dogs to join the training on how to live in space due to their ability to adapt more than males.

Laika

Soviet scientists thought that stray dogs may know how to endure harsh conditions of hunger and cold temperatures.

The Siberian husky and its friends were trained for space travel by learning how to eat a nutritious gel, their expected food in space. Unfortunately, Laika died after a few hours due to panic, fear, and overheat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOS-rxXP3GM

Smithsonian website contributor Alice George expressed, "The noises and pressures of flight terrified [it]: Her heartbeat rocketed to triple the normal rate, and her breath rate quadrupled.

The National Air and Space Museum holds declassified printouts showing [its] respiration during the flight. She reached orbit alive, circling the Earth in about 103 minutes. Unfortunately, loss of the heat shield made the temperature in the capsule rise unexpectedly, taking its toll on [it]."

George reviewed many reasons for the dog's early death, "Soviet engineers planned Sputnik 2 hastily after Premier Nikita Khrushchev requested a flight to coincide with November 7, 1957, the 40th anniversary of Russia’s Bolshevik Revolution."

She continued, "the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum doubts that a few ounces of food would have made a difference, and she recalls reports that a female physician broke protocol by feeding Laika before lift off."

Laika During Training