Laika (russian: link=no, Лайка; – 3 November 1957) was a
Soviet space dog
During the 1950s and 1960s the Soviet space program used dogs for sub-orbital and orbital space flights to determine whether human spaceflight was feasible. In this period, the Soviet Union launched missions with passenger slots for at l ...
who was one of the first
animals in space
Animals in space originally served to test the survivability of spaceflight, before human spaceflights were attempted. Later, other non-human animals were flown to investigate various biological processes and the effects microgravity and space ...
and the first to
orbit
In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an object or position in space such as a p ...
the Earth. A stray
mongrel
A mongrel, mutt or mixed-breed dog is a dog that does not belong to one officially recognized Dog breed, breed and including those that are the result of intentional Dog breeding, breeding. Although the term ''mixed-breed dog'' is sometime ...
from the streets of Moscow, she flew aboard the
Sputnik 2
Sputnik 2 (, russian: Спутник-2, ''Satellite 2''), or Prosteyshiy Sputnik 2 (PS-2, russian: Простейший Спутник 2, italic=yes, ''Simplest Satellite 2'') was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, on 3 November 195 ...
spacecraft, launched into
low orbit on 3 November 1957. As the technology to de-orbit had not yet been developed, Laika's survival was never expected. She died of overheating hours into the flight, on the craft's fourth orbit.
Little was known about the impact of
spaceflight
Spaceflight (or space flight) is an application of astronautics to fly spacecraft into or through outer space, either with or without humans on board. Most spaceflight is uncrewed and conducted mainly with spacecraft such as satellites in or ...
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
human spaceflight, Venturing into the environment of space can have negative effects on the human body. Significant adverse effects of long-term weightlessness include muscle atrophy and deterioration of the Human skeleton, skeleton (spaceflight ...
.
Laika died within hours from
overheating, possibly caused by a failure of the central
R7 sustainer to separate from the payload. 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
Animal euthanasia ( euthanasia from el, εὐθανασία; "good death") is the act of killing an animal or allowing it to die by withholding extreme medical measures. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditi ...
prior to
oxygen depletion
Hypoxia refers to low oxygen conditions. Normally, 20.9% of the gas in the atmosphere is oxygen. The partial pressure of oxygen in the atmosphere is 20.9% of the total barometric pressure. In water, oxygen levels are much lower, approximately 7 p ...
. 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
The ''Monument to the Conquerors of Space'' ( rus, Монуме́нт «Покори́телям ко́смоса», r=Monumént "Pokorítelyam kósmosa", p=mənʊˈmʲent pəkɐrʲˈitʲɪlʲɪm ˈkosməsə) is a giant obelisk erected in Mosc ...
in Moscow.
Sputnik 2
After the success of
Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 (; see § Etymology) was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for t ...
in October 1957,
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
, the Soviet leader, wanted a spacecraft launched on 7 November 1957, the fortieth anniversary of the
October Revolution
The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key moment ...
. Construction had already started on a more sophisticated satellite, but it would not be ready until December; this satellite would later become
Sputnik 3
Sputnik 3 (russian: Спутник-3, Satellite 3) was a Soviet satellite launched on 15 May 1958 from Baikonur Cosmodrome by a modified R-7/SS-6 ICBM. The scientific satellite carried a large array of instruments for geophysical research of ...
.
Meeting the November deadline meant building a new craft. Khrushchev specifically wanted his engineers to deliver a "space spectacular", a mission that would repeat the triumph of Sputnik1, stunning the world with Soviet prowess. Planners settled on an orbital flight with a dog. Soviet rocket engineers had long intended a canine orbit before attempting human spaceflight; since 1951, they had lofted twelve 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 rush 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
Solar irradiance is the power per unit area (surface power density) received from the Sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range of the measuring instrument.
Solar irradiance is measured in watts per square metre (W/ ...
and
cosmic ray
Cosmic rays are high-energy particles or clusters of particles (primarily represented by protons or atomic nuclei) that move through space at nearly the speed of light. They originate from the Sun, from outside of the Solar System in our own ...
s.
The craft was equipped with a life-support system consisting of an
oxygen generator
A chemical oxygen generator is a device that releases oxygen via a chemical reaction. The oxygen source is usually an inorganic superoxide, chlorate, or perchlorate; ozonides are a promising group of oxygen sources. The generators are usually ign ...
and devices to avoid
oxygen poisoning
Oxygen toxicity is a condition resulting from the harmful effects of breathing molecular oxygen () at increased partial pressures. Severe cases can result in cell damage and death, with effects most often seen in the central nervous system, lung ...
and to absorb
carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...
. 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
A harness is a looped restraint or support. Specifically, it may refer to one of the following harness types:
* Bondage harness
* Child harness
* Climbing harness
* Dog harness
* Pet harness
* Five-point harness
* Horse harness
* Parrot 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 wandering the streets of Moscow a week before the launch. Soviet scientists chose to use Moscow strays since they assumed that such animals had already learned to endure conditions of extreme cold and hunger. She was a
mongrel
A mongrel, mutt or mixed-breed dog is a dog that does not belong to one officially recognized Dog breed, breed and including those that are the result of intentional Dog breeding, breeding. Although the term ''mixed-breed dog'' is sometime ...
female, approximately three years old. Another account reported that she weighed about . Soviet personnel gave her several names and nicknames, among them Kudryavka (Russian for ''Little Curly''), Zhuchka (''Little Bug''), and Limonchik (''Little Lemon''). Laika, the Russian name for several
breeds of dogs similar to the
husky
Husky is a general term for a dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies that mai ...
, 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 due to her loud barking. The American press dubbed her Muttnik (''
mutt'' + suffix ''
-nik'') as a
pun
A pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophoni ...
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
Terrier (from Latin ''terra'', 'earth') is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. Terrier breeds vary ...
. NASA refers to Laika as a "part-
Samoyed terrier." A Russian magazine described her temperament as
phlegmatic
The four temperament theory is a proto-psychological theory which suggests that there are four fundamental personality types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Most formulations include the possibility of mixtures among the types w ...
, saying that she did not quarrel with other dogs.
The Soviet Union and United States had previously sent animals only on
sub-orbital
A sub-orbital spaceflight is a spaceflight in which the spacecraft reaches outer space, but its trajectory intersects the atmosphere or surface of the gravitating body from which it was launched, so that it will not complete one orbital re ...
flights. Three dogs were trained for the Sputnik2 flight:
Albina,
Mushka
During the 1950s and 1960s the Soviet space program used dogs for sub-orbital and orbital space flights to determine whether human spaceflight was feasible. In this period, the Soviet Union launched missions with passenger slots for at le ...
, and Laika. Soviet space-life scientists
Vladimir Yazdovsky and
Oleg Gazenko
Oleg Georgievich Gazenko (russian: Олег Георгиевич Газенко; 12 December 1918 – 17 November 2007) was a Russian scientist, general officer in the Soviet Air Force and the former director of the Institute of Biomedical Pr ...
trained the dogs.
To adapt the dogs to the confines of the tiny cabin of Sputnik2, they were kept in progressively smaller cages for periods of up to twenty days. The extensive close confinement caused them to stop urinating or defecating, made them restless, and caused their general condition to deteriorate.
Laxatives
Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation.
Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lub ...
did not improve their condition, and the researchers found that only long periods of training proved effective. The dogs were placed in
centrifuge
A centrifuge is a device that uses centrifugal force to separate various components of a fluid. This is achieved by spinning the fluid at high speed within a container, thereby separating fluids of different densities (e.g. cream from milk) or ...
s that simulated the acceleration of a rocket launch and were placed in machines that simulated the noises of the spacecraft. This caused their pulses to double and their
blood pressure
Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term "blood pressure" r ...
to increase by . The dogs were trained to eat a special high-nutrition gel that would be their food in space.
Before the launch one of the mission scientists took Laika home to play with his children. In a book chronicling the story of Soviet space medicine, Dr. Vladimir Yazdovsky wrote, "Laika was quiet and charming... I wanted to do something nice for her: She had so little time left to live."
Preflight preparations
Yazdovsky made the final selection of dogs and their designated roles. Laika was to be the "flight dog"a sacrifice to science on a one-way mission to space. Albina, who had already flown twice on a high-altitude test
rocket
A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...
, was to act as Laika's backup. The third dog, Mushka, was a "
control dog"she was to stay on the ground and be used to test instrumentation and
life support
Life support comprises the treatments and techniques performed in an emergency in order to support life after the failure of one or more vital organs. Healthcare providers and emergency medical technicians are generally certified to perform basic ...
.
Before leaving for the
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome ( kk, Байқоңыр ғарыш айлағы, translit=Baiqoñyr ğaryş ailağy, ; russian: Космодром Байконур, translit=Kosmodrom Baykonur, ) is a spaceport in an area of southern Kazakhstan leased to R ...
, Yazdovsky and Gazenko conducted surgery on the dogs, routing the cables from the transmitters to the sensors that would measure breathing, pulse, and blood pressure.
Because the existing airstrip at
Turatam near the cosmodrome was small, the dogs and crew had to be first flown aboard a
Tu104 plane to
Tashkent
Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...
. From there, a smaller and lighter
Il14 plane took them to Turatam. Training of dogs continued upon arrival; one after another they were placed in the capsules to get familiar with the feeding system.
According to a
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
document, Laika was placed in the capsule of the satellite on 31 October 1957three days before the start of the mission. At that time of year, the temperatures at the launch site were extremely cold, and a hose connected to a heater was used to keep her container warm. Two assistants were assigned to keep a constant watch on Laika before launch. Just prior to liftoff on 3 November 1957, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Laika's fur was sponged in a weak
ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl ...
solution and carefully groomed, while
iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...
was painted onto the areas where sensors would be placed to monitor her bodily functions.
One of the technicians preparing the capsule before final liftoff: "After placing Laika in the container and before closing the hatch, we kissed her nose and wished her bon voyage, knowing that she would not survive the flight."
Voyage
The exact time of the launch varies from source to source and is mentioned as 05:30:42 Moscow Time or 07:22 Moscow Time.
At peak acceleration, Laika's respiration increased to between three and four times the pre-launch rate. The sensors showed her heart rate was 103 beats/min before launch and increased to 240 beats/min during the early acceleration. After reaching orbit, Sputnik2's
nose cone
A nose cone is the conically shaped forwardmost section of a rocket, guided missile or aircraft, designed to modulate oncoming airflow behaviors and minimize aerodynamic drag. Nose cones are also designed for submerged watercraft such as ...
was jettisoned successfully; however, the "Block A" core did not separate as planned, preventing the thermal control system from operating correctly. Some of the
thermal insulation
Thermal insulation is the reduction of heat transfer (i.e., the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature) between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Thermal insulation can be achieved with s ...
tore loose, raising the cabin temperature to . After three hours of
weightlessness
Weightlessness is the complete or near-complete absence of the sensation of weight. It is also termed zero gravity, zero G-force, or zero-G.
Weight is a measurement of the force on an object at rest in a relatively strong gravitational fi ...
, Laika's pulse rate had settled back to 102 beats/min, three times longer than it had taken during earlier ground tests, an indication of the stress she was under. The early
telemetry
Telemetry is the in situ data collection, collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic data transmission, transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Gr ...
indicated that Laika was agitated but eating her food. After approximately five to seven hours into the flight, no further signs of life were received from the spacecraft.
The Soviet scientists had planned to euthanise Laika with a serving of poisoned food. For many years, the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
gave conflicting statements that she had died either from
asphyxia
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that can i ...
, when the batteries failed, or that she had been euthanised. Many rumours circulated about the exact manner of her death. In 1999, several Russian sources reported that Laika had died when the cabin overheated on the fourth orbit. In October 2002, Dimitri Malashenkov, one of the scientists behind the Sputnik2 mission, revealed that Laika had died by the fourth circuit of flight from overheating. According to a paper he presented to the
World Space Congress in
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, "It turned out that it was practically impossible to create a reliable temperature control system in such limited time constraints."
Over five months later, after 2,570 orbits, Sputnik2 (including Laika's remains) disintegrated during re-entry on 14 April 1958.
Ethics of animal testing
![Opportunity-Laikia-soil-target-sol-400](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Opportunity-Laikia-soil-target-sol-400.jpg)
Due to the overshadowing issue of the Soviet–U.S.
Space Race
The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between the tw ...
, the ethical issues raised by this experiment went largely unaddressed for some time. As newspaper clippings from 1957 show, the press was initially focused on reporting the political perspective, while Laika's health and retrievalor lack thereofonly became an issue later.
Sputnik 2 was not designed to be retrievable, and it had always been accepted that Laika would die. The mission sparked a debate across the globe on the
mistreatment of animals and
animal testing
Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and ''in vivo'' testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments that seek to control the variables that affect the behavior or biological system under study. This ...
in general to advance science. In the United Kingdom, the
National Canine Defence League called on all dog owners to observe a minute's silence on each day Laika remained in space, while the
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest a ...
(RSPCA) received protests even before
Radio Moscow
Radio Moscow ( rus, Pадио Москва, r=Radio Moskva), also known as Radio Moscow World Service, was the official international broadcasting station of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics until 1993. It was reorganized with a new name ...
had finished announcing the launch.
Animal rights
Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sa ...
groups at the time called on members of the public to protest at Soviet embassies. Others demonstrated outside the United Nations in New York. Laboratory researchers in the
U.S
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. offered some support for the Soviets, at least before the news of Laika's death.
In the Soviet Union, there was less controversy. Neither the media, books in the following years, nor the public openly questioned the decision to send a dog into space. In 1998, after the collapse of the Soviet regime,
Oleg Gazenko
Oleg Georgievich Gazenko (russian: Олег Георгиевич Газенко; 12 December 1918 – 17 November 2007) was a Russian scientist, general officer in the Soviet Air Force and the former director of the Institute of Biomedical Pr ...
, one of the scientists responsible for sending Laika into space, expressed regret for allowing her to die:
In other
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republic ...
countries, open criticism of the Soviet space program was difficult because of political censorship, but there were notable cases of criticism in Polish scientific circles. A Polish scientific periodical, "''Kto, Kiedy, Dlaczego''" ("Who, When, Why"), published in 1958, discussed the mission of Sputnik2. In the periodical's section dedicated to astronautics,
Krzysztof Boruń described the Sputnik2 mission as "regrettable" and criticised not bringing Laika back to Earth alive as "undoubtedly a great loss for science".
Legacy
![Posta Romana - 1959 - Laika 120 B](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Posta_Romana_-_1959_-_Laika_120_B.jpg)
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
The ''Monument to the Conquerors of Space'' ( rus, Монуме́нт «Покори́телям ко́смоса», r=Monumént "Pokorítelyam kósmosa", p=mənʊˈmʲent pəkɐrʲˈitʲɪlʲɪm ˈkosməsə) is a giant obelisk erected in Mosc ...
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.
Future space missions carrying dogs would be designed to be recovered; the first successful recovery followed the flight of
Korabl-Sputnik 2, wherein the dogs
Belka and Strelka
Belka (Белка, literally, " squirrel", or alternatively "Whitey") and Strelka (Стрелка, "little arrow") spent a day in space aboard Korabl-Sputnik 2 (Sputnik 5) on 19 August 1960 before safely returning to Earth. They are the first h ...
, alongside dozens of other organisms, safely returned to Earth. 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.
In popular culture
*Although never shown, Laika is prominently mentioned in the 1985 film ''
My Life as a Dog
''My Life as a Dog'' ( sv, Mitt liv som hund) is a Swedish drama film which was released to cinemas in Sweden on 12 December 1985, directed by Lasse Hallström. It is based on the second novel of a semi-autobiographical trilogy by Reidar Jönsso ...
'', in which the main character (a young Swedish boy in the late 1950s) identifies strongly with the dog.
*
''Laika'', a 2007 graphic novel by
Nick Abadzis
Nick Abadzis ( el, Νικ Αμπατζής; born 1965)
Lambiek's ''Comiclopedia''. Retrieved Jan. 28, 2020. i ...
giving a fictionalized account of Laika's life, won the 2008
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...
for Best Publication for Teens.
*Laika is mentioned in the 2004 song "
Neighborhood #2 (Laika)" by
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member S ...
, included on their debut album ''
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...
''.
[Anderson, Ian.]
The Arcade Fire: Something filled up my heart with nothing
" ''Pulse'' (Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, Minnesota). Retrieved 27 October 2007.
*Laika, a 2013 song by
Wil Wagner
Wil Wagner is an Australian singer, songwriter, guitar and keyboard player from Melbourne. He is the lead singer of The Smith Street Band.
Career
In April 2008, Wagner released ''Us Boys Run'', credited to Wil Wagner & Friends.
In 2010, Wagne ...
from Laika's perspective, included in his album ''Laika''.
*Laika would eventually inspire the creation of the
Marvel
Marvel may refer to:
Business
* Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company
** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment
** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe
** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics
* ...
character
Cosmo the Spacedog
Cosmo the Spacedog (russian: Космо, Kosmo) is a fictional character, appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Cosmo, a telepathic Soviet space dog, is the security chief of the space station Knowhere and a member of th ...
, who subsequently appeared in several comic books and some movies.
*''
Lajka
Lajka (in English: ''Laika'') is a 2017 Czech science fiction comedy animated film. It is inspired by Soviet space dog Laika.
Plot
In the Soviet town of Baikonur, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, Kazakhstan, a female stray dog is captured while ...
'' (in English: ''Laika'') is a 2017 Czech animated science fiction comedy film inspired by Laika.
*
Laika Studios, a stop-motion animation studio, was named after Laika.
See also
*
Laika (cigarette)
*
Animals in space
Animals in space originally served to test the survivability of spaceflight, before human spaceflights were attempted. Later, other non-human animals were flown to investigate various biological processes and the effects microgravity and space ...
*
Albert II, first mammal in space
*
Félicette
Félicette () was a stray Parisian cat who is the only cat to have been successfully launched into space. She was launched on 18October 1963 as part of the French space program. Félicette was one of 14 female cats trained for spaceflight. The c ...
, first cat in space
*
Belka and Strelka
Belka (Белка, literally, " squirrel", or alternatively "Whitey") and Strelka (Стрелка, "little arrow") spent a day in space aboard Korabl-Sputnik 2 (Sputnik 5) on 19 August 1960 before safely returning to Earth. They are the first h ...
*
Soviet space dogs
During the 1950s and 1960s the Soviet space program used dogs for sub-orbital and orbital space flights to determine whether human spaceflight was feasible. In this period, the Soviet Union launched missions with passenger slots for at ...
*
List of individual dogs
This is a list of individual famous actual dogs; for famous dogs from fiction, see List of fictional dogs.
Actors
Advertising
* Axelrod, Basset Hound, appeared in commercials and print ads for Flying "A" Service Station advertisements in ...
*
Transportation of animals
The transportation of animals is the intentional movement of animals by transport. Common categories of animals which are transported include livestock destined for sale or slaughter; zoological specimens; laboratory animals; race horses; pets; ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
* SP-2000-4408
Part 1 (page 1-500)Part 2 (page 501-1011)
Further reading
*Angliss, Sarah and Uttley, Colin
Retrieved 28 January 2005.
*Dubbs, Chris and
Burgess, Colin. ''Animals In Space: From Research Rockets to the Space Shuttle'', 2007.
External links
History of Sputnik Missions
{{Authority control
1954 animal births
1957 animal deaths
1957 in spaceflight
Sputnik
Animals in space
Individual dogs
Deaths in space
1957 in the Soviet Union
Deaths from hyperthermia
Dog training and behavior
Animal testing in the Soviet Union
Dogs in human culture