Famous Animals - Laika the Space Dog; The First Living Creature to Orbit Earth

Photo courtesy: The New Yorker

On November 3, 1957, a small stray dog from the streets of Moscow made history as the first living creature to orbit the Earth. Her name was Laika, and her journey aboard Sputnik 2 captured the world’s imagination, marking a milestone in space exploration—but also sparking an enduring conversation about the ethics of using animals in science.

From Stray to Space Pioneer

Laika, a female mixed-breed dog (often described as part terrier or husky), was plucked from a Moscow animal shelter by Soviet scientists. The space program chose stray dogs for their presumed hardiness and resilience. Weighing around 6 kg (13 lbs), Laika was calm, gentle and obedient—traits that made her the ideal candidate for the mission.

She wasn't alone in training. A number of dogs were selected and underwent rigorous preparation, including confinement in small spaces, exposure to loud noises and g-forces, and a special high-fiber gel diet. In the end, Laika was chosen to fly.

The Mission: Sputnik 2

Laika’s launch came just a month after the Soviet Union's successful deployment of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite. Sputnik 2 was much heavier—about 500 kg—and hastily assembled to meet a deadline driven more by political goals than scientific readiness.

The spacecraft had no re-entry plan. At the time, the technology to return a living being safely from orbit didn’t exist. The mission’s purpose was to test the effects of spaceflight on a living organism.

On launch day, Laika was fitted into a specially designed harness inside a pressurised cabin. She had food, water and a waste collection system. Heart rate, respiration and other vitals were monitored.

A Short Life, A Long Legacy

Initially, Soviet officials claimed Laika survived several days in orbit. But decades later, Russian scientists revealed the truth: Laika died just a few hours after launch, likely from overheating due to a failure in the spacecraft’s thermal control system.

Though her life was short, Laika's mission provided critical data about the biological effects of space travel—proof that a living organism could survive launch and microgravity, at least briefly. Her sacrifice paved the way for human spaceflight, including Yuri Gagarin’s orbital journey just four years later in 1961.

Remembering Laika

Laika has become a symbol of both scientific progress and the moral complexities of experimentation. Over the years, she’s been honoured in books, films, music and memorials—including a statue outside the Russian space institute where she trained.

In 2008, the Russian government formally acknowledged Laika's sacrifice with a monument featuring her standing atop a rocket.

A Legacy That Lives On

Laika’s story continues to resonate with people around the world. She reminds us that behind every great leap in science, there are sacrifices—sometimes by those who have no voice in the decision. While her mission was one of the earliest steps in human space exploration, it also helped spark a global conversation about how we treat animals in research.

Laika wasn’t just a space dog—she was a pioneer, a hero and a reminder of the cost of ambition.