06/06/2020
Dog History!
In November 1957, after the successful launch of Sputnik 1 (the first artificial earth satellite), the Soviets decided to launch Sputnik 2.
Aboard Sputnik 2 was Laika, a stray dog from the streets of Moscow. Soviet Scientists chose stray dogs because they thought that they would be used to the harsh conditions of extreme temperature and hunger.
To prepare Laika for her mission, they kept her in progressively smaller cages for long periods of time. One of the scientists found Laika to have charm, and before her launch date, he took her home and let her play with his kids, wanting her to enjoy life for a brief moment before her mission.
Unfortunately, Laika was never going to make it, as she was going to be euthanised; her food was poisoned. Things didn't go as planned though. She died on the fourth orbit around the earth after overheating in the cabin.
Laika left a legacy, having paved the way for future space travel. She is remembered at the Monument to the Conquerors of Space, where others are recognised or their achievements in soviet space exploration.