Sputnik 2, therefore, was something of a rush job, with most elements of the space craft being constructed from rough sketches. According to Russian sources, the official decision to launch Sputnik 2 was made on October 10 or 12, leaving the team only four weeks to design and build the space craft. To meet the November deadline, a new, less sophisticated design had to be built. A more sophisticated satellite was already under construction, but it would not be ready until December this satellite would later become Sputnik 3. It paved the way for human spaceflight and provided scientists with some of the first data on how living organisms react to spaceflight environments.Īfter the success of Sputnik 1, Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet leader, wanted a second spacecraft launched on November 7, the 40th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. Some former Soviet scientists have since expressed regret that Laika was allowed to die.Īlthough Laika did not survive the trip, the experiment proved that a living passenger could survive being launched into orbit and endure weightlessness. The true cause of her death was not made public until decades after the flight. Laika died a few hours after launch from stress and overheating, likely due to a malfunction in the thermal control system. After undergoing training with two other dogs, she was selected to be the occupant of the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2 and was launched into space on November 3, 1957. Originally named Kudryavka, she was renamed Laika after her breed type. She was found as a stray wandering the streets of Moscow. Laika (from Russian: Лайка, meaning "Barker", as well as being a dog breed) was a Russian space dog that became the first living creature from Earth to enter orbit. Related subjects: Recent History Space transport
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