Laika space sputnik dog. The animal launched on a one way trip on board sputnik 2 in november 1957 was said to have died painlessly in orbit about a week after blast off. 3 in 1957 the soviet union launched the first ever living animal into orbit. 3 1957 the soviet union lofted a dog named laika aboard the satellite sputnik 2. Sputnik the first artificial satellite propelled to space in history had been sent into orbit only a month before.
For this mission the soviets wanted to use the dog to test the safety of space travel for humans and chose laika because of her calm character and small size. The sad sad story of laika the space dog and her one way trip into orbit a stray moscow pup traveled into orbit in 1957 with one meal and only a seven day oxygen supply. 1954 3 november 1957 was a soviet space dog who became one of the first animals in space and the first animal to orbit the earth. Laikas death sparked debates about animal rights around the world.
The milestone came less than a month after the soviets kicked off the space age and the cold war space. A dog named laika. Alex wellerstein examines the legacy of laika the soviet space dog launched sixty years ago aboard sputnik 2 humanitys second ever satellite. Laika a stray mongrel from the streets of moscow was selected to be the occupant of the soviet spacecraft sputnik 2 that was launched into outer space on 3 november 1957.
However since the soviets did not create a re entry plan laika died in space. Aboard the soviets sputnik 2 laika a dog became the very first living creature to enter orbit on november 3 1957.