Here’s the heartbreaking story of Laika, the first living creature to orbit Earth.
When we think about the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, we often remember iconic moments like Neil Armstrong’s moon landing or Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human in space. But few know the heartbreaking story of Laika, the dog who became the first living being to orbit our planet.
In the 1950s, sending an animal into space was considered groundbreaking. After the success of Sputnik 1, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev wanted another landmark achievement to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution. So, Soviet scientists set out to send a dog into orbit, hoping it would help them understand how space travel would affect living beings.
Laika, whose name roughly translates to “barker,” was a stray dog found on the streets of Moscow. She was picked off the streets by Soviet scientists to take on the historic mission, and, at about three years old, this part-samoyed, part-terrier mix was quickly trained for her journey. Laika endured tests to adapt to the small confines of her capsule, eating jellied food, and undergoing centrifuge tests to simulate the intense forces of launch and spaceflight.
On November 3, 1957, Laika’s journey into space began. She instantly became a global sensation. But while her voyage was groundbreaking, it came with a tragic cost: there was no plan for Laika to return safely to Earth. Soviet authorities originally claimed that she survived for several days, but in 2002, Russian scientist Dmitry Malashenkov revealed that Laika had only lived for five to seven hours. She likely died from a combination of stress, panic, and overheating due to a thermal control failure and insulation issues during launch.
Laika’s remains, along with Sputnik 2, disintegrated as they re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on April 14, 1958. Despite the tragedy of her mission, her legacy helped pave the way for future space exploration.
Just a few years later, in 1960, Belka and Strelka became the first living creatures to successfully orbit Earth and return safely, marking a major milestone in space history.
Laika’s story is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made during the early days of space exploration and the complexities of pushing the boundaries of what was thought possible.
