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Outstanding Animals Laika the Space Dog
One Giant Leap for Canine-Kind Before Yuri A. Gagarin, the first man to go to outer space, blasted the Vostok spacecraft into orbit on 12 April 1961, scientists didn’t know how the human body would fare in the extreme environment outside Earth’s atmosphere. Would the rocket blast-off shake brains loose from skulls? Would the zero-gravity conditions shock hearts into stopping? No one could say for sure. So, before they risked human life, scientists decided to send a pioneering pup to space on a test trip.
Astro-Dog
Russian scientists scoured the streets of Moscow looking for the perfect canine cosmonaut. They found her in a stray Siberian husky mix they named Laika, Russian for ‘barker’. At 13 pounds (6 kg), Laika was the right size to fit into the Sputnik 2 spacecraft’s teeny cabin – just 25 inches (64 cm) across. Her calm personality sealed the deal. Person or pup, every astronaut has to keep a cool head.
Just like a human astronaut, Laika went through intensive training before blast-off. She was gradually placed in smaller and smaller crates to get her used to the confined quarters of Sputnik 2. On launch day, scientists carefully attached sensors to Laika’s body to monitor her heartbeat, blood pressure and other bodily functions. Laika’s flight would allow them a first ever look at how travel to outer space affects a living creature. On 2 November 1957, Sputnik 2 blasted off, its canine captain inside. Laika made history as the first animal to orbit Earth.
Laika’s Legacy
Laika’s famous trip had a sad ending. As the world waited to hear news of the space dog’s journey, the Soviet government revealed that they had not been able to build a recovery vehicle for Laika in time for launch. The courageous canine’s first trip into space would be her last. Many people criticised the Soviet Union for sending Laika up without a way to get her home. She died a few hours after launch. Whether her journey was a worthy sacrifice or an unnecessary cruelty, Laika was a space traveller just as important as her human counterparts. By monitoring the signals coming back from Laika’s body sensors, scientists learned that living things could indeed survive an extra-terrestrial trip. Laika paved the way for the next generation of human astronauts.
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