Laika

Laika ( ; , ; – 3 November 1957) was a Soviet space dog who was one of the first animals in space and the first to orbit the Earth. A stray mongrel from the streets of Moscow, she flew aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft, launched into low orbit on 3 November 1957. As the technology to re-enter the atmosphere had not yet been developed, Laika's survival was never expected. She died by overheating hours into the flight, on the craft's fourth orbit.

Little was known about the effects of spaceflight on living creatures at the time of Laika's mission, and animal flights were viewed by engineers as a necessary precursor to human missions. The experiment, which monitored Laika's vital signs, aimed to prove that a living organism could survive being launched into orbit and continue to function under conditions of weakened gravity and increased radiation, providing scientists with some of the first data on the biological effects of spaceflight.

Laika's death was possibly caused by a failure of the central R7 sustainer to separate from the payload: this affected the thermal control mechanisms, which then caused the cabin to overheat. The true cause and time of her death were not made public until 2002; instead, it was widely reported that she died when her oxygen ran out on day six or, as the Soviet government initially claimed, she was euthanised prior to oxygen depletion. In 2008, a small monument to Laika depicting her standing atop a rocket was unveiled near the military research facility in Moscow that prepared her flight. She also appears on the Monument to the Conquerors of Space in Moscow. Korabl-Sputnik 2 returned the first animals from orbit safely in 1960, dogs Belka and Strelka, testing the crewed Vostok craft.

Sputnik 2

After the success of Sputnik 1 in October 1957, Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union, wanted a spacecraft launched on 7 November 1957 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution. Khrushchev specifically wanted to deliver a "space spectacular", a mission that would repeat the triumph of Sputnik1, stunning the world with Soviet prowess.

While construction had already started on Sputnik 3, a more sophisticated satellite, it would not be ready until December. To meet the November deadline, a new simple satellite would need to be built. Sergei Korolev proposed that a dog be placed in the satellite, an idea which was quickly adopted by planners. Soviet rocket engineers had long intended a canine orbit before attempting human spaceflight; since 1951, they had lofted 12 dogs into sub-orbital space on ballistic flights, working gradually toward an orbital mission set for some time in 1958. To satisfy Khrushchev's demands, they expedited the orbital canine flight for the November launch.

According to Russian sources, the official decision to launch Sputnik2 was made on 10 or 12 October, leaving less than four weeks to design and build the spacecraft. Sputnik2, therefore, was something of a rushed job, with most elements of the spacecraft being constructed from rough sketches. Aside from the primary mission of sending a living passenger into space, Sputnik2 also contained instrumentation for measuring solar irradiance and cosmic rays.

The craft was equipped with a life-support system consisting of an oxygen generator and devices to avoid oxygen poisoning and to absorb carbon dioxide. A fan, designed to activate whenever the cabin temperature exceeded , was added to keep the dog cool. Enough food (in a gelatinous form) was provided for a seven-day flight, and the dog was fitted with a bag to collect waste. A harness was designed to be fitted to the dog, and there were chains to restrict her movements to standing, sitting, or lying down; there was no room to turn around in the cabin. An electrocardiogram monitored heart rate and further instrumentation tracked respiration rate, maximum arterial pressure, and the dog's movements.

Training

Laika was found as a stray dog wandering the streets of Moscow. Laika, the Russian name for several breeds of dogs similar to the husky, was the name popularised around the world. Its literal translation would be "Barker", from the Russian verb "layat" (лаять), "to bark". According to some accounts, the technicians actually renamed her from Kudryavka to Laika owing to her loud barking. The American press dubbed her Muttnik (mutt + suffix -nik) as a pun on Sputnik, or referred to her as Curly. Her true pedigree is unknown, although it is generally accepted that she was part husky or other Nordic breed, and possibly part terrier. NASA refers to Laika as a "part-Samoyed terrier". A Russian magazine described her temperament as phlegmatic, saying that she did not quarrel with other dogs.

The Soviet Union and United States had previously sent animals only on sub-orbital flights. Three dogs were trained for the Sputnik2 flight: Albina, Mushka, and Laika. Soviet space-life scientists Vladimir Yazdovsky and Oleg Gazenko trained the dogs. Nonetheless, four other dogs later died in Soviet space missions: Bars and Lisichka were killed when their R7 rocket exploded shortly after launch on 28 July 1960, while Pchyolka and Mushka died when Korabl-Sputnik 3 suffered an emergency and had to be detonated.

Tributes

thumb|right|"Laika, first traveller into cosmos" stamp issued by [[Poșta Română in 1957]]

Laika is memorialised in the form of a statue and plaque at Star City, the Russian Cosmonaut training facility. Created in 1997, Laika is positioned behind the cosmonauts with her ears erect. The Monument to the Conquerors of Space in Moscow, constructed in 1964, also includes Laika. On 11 April 2008 at the military research facility where staff had been responsible for readying Laika for the flight, officials unveiled a monument of her poised on top of a space rocket. Stamps and envelopes picturing Laika were produced, as well as branded cigarettes and matches.

In 1988 the Spanish band Mecano released the song paying tribute to the flight of the dog. The end of the song alludes to Laika's death: "There is one less dog on the Earth / And one more star in the sky".

Karl Schroeder wrote a pessimistic near future science fiction novellette Laika's Ghost with the idea that in the pragmatic world, "only people ready to take up the dream of flight to other worlds are aged remnants of the former Soviet Union".

The 2007 graphic novel Laika by Nick Abadzis won several awards, landing itself on the YALSA "Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens" and earning multiple Eisner Awards. The book gives a fictionalized account of Laika's life. The story is told from multiple points of view and features politicians, scientists, and engineers.

Lajka is a 2017 Czech science fiction comedy animated film inspired by the dog.

Norwegian singer Emmy released a song in 2025 titled "Laika Party" to compete in the Irish Eurosong selection for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. The song tells a story about the singer wishing that Laika had never died and was living happily in space. Emmy won the selection to represent Ireland at the contest.

Sputnik 2

Training

Tributes

Notes

Sources

Further reading

External links