First Animal in Space
Laika the dog became the first animal to orbit Earth aboard Sputnik 2
November 03, 1957
A Dog Named Laika Leads the Way
On November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2 carrying Laika, a stray dog found on the streets of Moscow. Laika became the first animal to orbit the Earth. Soviet scientists chose dogs for early space experiments because they had already been used in high-altitude rocket tests. Laika was selected for her calm temperament and small size. Her flight was designed to gather data on how living creatures responded to spaceflight — information essential before sending humans to orbit.
The Difficult Truth About the Mission
Soviet officials initially claimed Laika survived in orbit for several days before being euthanized. The truth, revealed in 2002, was more sobering: Laika died from overheating just a few hours after launch due to a malfunction in the thermal control system. Sputnik 2 had no re-entry mechanism, so return was never planned. Laika orbited Earth for about five months before the spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere in April 1958. Her mission sparked debate about the ethics of using animals in dangerous experiments.
Animals and the Path to Human Spaceflight
Before humans flew in space, both the Soviet Union and the United States used animals to test whether survival in space was even possible. The U.S. sent monkeys and chimpanzees. The Soviets sent more dogs. These early flights gathered critical data about radiation exposure, weightlessness, and the cardiovascular effects of launch and re-entry. Laika's sacrifice, though tragic, contributed to the knowledge that allowed Yuri Gagarin to orbit Earth safely in April 1961. See the first woman in space story for what came next.