Laika's legacy: The canine pioneer of space exploration
On 3rd November 1957, a Soviet rocket launched Earth's second artificial satellite – Sputnik 2 – into orbit, carrying a living creature onboard. It was a small, three-year-old female dog named Kudryavka, whom the world came to know as Laika. She was the first living being in history to journey into Earth's orbit. However, her cosmic adventure did not last long.
Sputnik 2 burned up in the atmosphere on 14th April 1958, after more than 1,600 orbits of Earth. Upon entering the dense layers of the atmosphere, the spacecraft disintegrated and was completely destroyed. No fragments survived, and its remains burned up in the high temperature, just like Laika's body. Although the capsule was equipped with basic life-support systems, it was never designed for a return to Earth – it was a one-time mission, and the fate of the dog was sealed from the start.
Over the years, Laika's story became a symbol of both a significant step in the development of space exploration and the dramatic ethical dilemmas associated with scientific experiments. In 2008, her monument was even unveiled in Moscow near the Institute of Military and Medical Research, and currently, the date 14th April 1958, is considered by many as the symbolic funeral date for the dog whose life was sacrificed for scientific purposes.
Laika - the dog that flew into space
Laika was chosen from among several stray dogs caught on the streets of Moscow. Soviet engineers and scientists believed that dogs accustomed to difficult conditions, hunger, noise, and stress would perform best. Kudryavka was small, weighing only 6 kilograms, had a calm disposition, and tolerated confinement well.
Before joining the team preparing her for the flight, she underwent selection based on health and behaviour. During intensive training, she was gradually accustomed to the confined space of the capsule, centrifugal forces, and the sounds accompanying the rocket's launch. She stayed in special cabins, wore prototype suits, and her diet was changed to a paste resembling the food she was to receive during the flight.
Alongside Kudryavka's training, preparations for the Sputnik 2 spacecraft were underway. The decision to launch it was made shortly after the success of the first Sputnik. Nikita Khrushchev demanded another success for the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution. In practice, this meant that designers had just over a month to design and build a new satellite – larger, more complex, and capable of transporting a living organism.
Engineers from Sergey Korolev's design bureau worked almost around the clock, day and night, improvising or testing some solutions for the first time. As a result, many technological compromises were made. Ultimately, the spacecraft was equipped with life-support systems, equipment to monitor Laika's physiological parameters, and a small research station. As it turned out later, not everything functioned flawlessly.
Sputnik 2 - an important stage in space exploration
The launch of Sputnik 2 took place on 3rd November 1957, at 00:30 GMT, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It was the second artificial satellite in history to be sent into orbit and the first mission involving a living creature – Laika. The dog was placed in a small biological capsule located in the front part of the spacecraft. She had limited space – she could only stand or lie down. Laika was also equipped with oxygen delivery equipment, carbon dioxide absorbers, ventilation, and containers with gel food.
Special devices were installed to monitor Laika's vital functions: pulse, breathing, blood pressure, and stress responses. Before the launch, the dog was strapped into the cabin with a harness to prevent her from moving during the launch forces. She was awake at the time of launch – she was not sedated beforehand. The launch of Sputnik 2 went smoothly. When the rocket reached orbit, the aerodynamic shields were jettisoned, and Laika's capsule began orbiting Earth.
According to Soviet data, in the first minutes of the mission, the animal showed strong signs of stress – an accelerated heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and intense breathing. After a few orbits, her vital functions began to stabilise, but the conditions inside the capsule deteriorated by the minute. For years, it was officially reported that the animal died after a few days in orbit. Moreover, Soviet authorities claimed that the dog was put to sleep before the oxygen supplies ran out.
It was only after the fall of the USSR and the declassification of documents that it was revealed that Laika died as a result of overheating and stress, approximately 5–7 hours after the mission began. The cause was an error in the cooling system design – the capsule quickly heated up, and the temperature inside rose to over 40°C. Under such conditions, Laika's body could not withstand the stress. The telemetry sensors stopped registering signs of life later that same day.
Despite the tragic fate, the launch and initial phase of the Sputnik 2 mission were considered a groundbreaking technological success. It was proof that it was possible to send a living organism into space and have it function in a state of weightlessness – the first step on the road to manned space flights.
It is worth remembering that Laika was not the only animal to go into space. As Karol Żebruń rightly pointed out, the number of animals sent there exceeds the number of humans. This list includes the black-and-white cat Felicette, sent into space by the French in October 1963, and chimpanzees, mice, fruit flies, and even turtles.
