When we think of animals in space, we usually think of primates, such as rhesus monkeys Albert II and Ham the chimpanzee, but did you know that the first animal to orbit our planet was actually a dog?
Laika was a stray mutt living in the streets of Moscow, but was chosen by the Soviet space program to go in a historical adventure that laid the foundation for human missions (the first was completed by the Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961).
Unfortunately for Laika, Soviet scientists had not expected for his return trip, and it was finally sacrificed in the name of science.
After the success of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, the Soviets wanted to achieve a more monumental launched to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution.
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The Soviet scientists chose to send Laika up in the orbit of the Earth.
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They thought it might be better prepared for the journey that most dogs because as a parasite, she was already accustomed to extreme weather and hunger.
as part of his training, Laika was kept in a very small cage that was the same size as the ship Sputnik 2. It often was placed in a centrifuge, which simulates the movement of the rocket.
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Sputnik 2 is composed of an oxygen generator, fan, not much. Laika was provided with a nutritional gel enough to last a week.
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Before its launch, one of the scientists took Laika home to play with his children. He knew she did not have much time to live.
launched Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. When he reached orbit, the rocket dropped his nose cone correctly, but the temperature control does not work . It is believed that Laika died between five and seven hours into the flight due to overheating.
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Initially, the Soviets said they Laika humanely euthanized after she started to run out of oxygen. It was not until 02 that the real cause of death was revealed. In 08, a monument was erected in honor of Laika outside the institution where she trained for the flight.
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due to the intensity of the cold war, the media in general was not very interested in the ethical issues of sending a dog into space without trying to bring her back safely. It was not until 1998 & mdash; nearly 30 years after the launch of Laika & mdash; that one of the scientists behind the Sputnik 2 mission showed remorse. Here's what he had to say:
Working with animals is a source of suffering for us all. We treat them like babies who can not speak. The more time passes, the more I'm sorry about that. We should not have done. We have not learned enough from the mission to justify the death of the dog.
The death of Laika is proof that everything can not be justified in the name of progress.

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