First Dog In Space
Laika - First Dog In Space
Laika, a 13 pound stray stray found on the streets of Moscow, became famous for being the first dog sent into space. Unfortunately, she was also the first orbital death. Laika perished when the thermal control systems failed and the capsule overheated, killing the her in orbit. Russia has given Laika a permanent statue of her very own near Moscow's Military Medicine Institute. Read more about this fascinating famous dog.
Laiki
1954 - November 3, 1957
The First Dog In Space
About Laika
Laike was born born 1954 and died on November 3, 1957.
The name Laika means "Barker".
Laika was the first animal to orbit the Earth and was also the first orbital death.
Laika was a stray dog found wandering the streets of Moscow. A stray was chosen because it was assumed that a stray animal had already learned to endure conditions of extreme cold and hunger.
Laika was launch into space on November 3, 1957. After three hours of weightlessness, her pulse rate was 102 beats per minute. After approximately five to seven hours into the flight, no further signs of life were received from the spacecraft.
Laika likely died within hours after launch from overheating.
A small monument in honor of Laika was unveiled on April 11, 2008. The monument was built near the military research facility in Moscow, which prepared Laika's flight to space.
Photos of Laika
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Oleg Gazenko, one of the scientists responsible for sending Laika into space, expressed regret for allowing her to die. He was quoted as saying....
"Work with animals is a source of suffering to all of us. We treat them like babies who cannot speak. The more time passes, the more I'm sorry about it. We shouldn't have done it... We did not learn enough from this mission to justify the death of the dog."
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Other Dogs Who Died In Space
The only other dogs to die in a Soviet space mission were Pchyolka and Mushka, who died when Korabl-Sputnik 3 disintegrated on re-entry on December 1, 1960.
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