Science Fact Finder | Space - When Was The First Animal Sent Into Orbit?

When was the first animal sent into orbit?

On November 3, 1957, a small female dog named Laika was the first animal (and first living creature) sent into orbit. Laika traveled aboard the Soviet Sputnik 2. This event followed the successful Soviet launch on October 4, 1957, of Sputnik 1, the first human-made satellite ever placed in orbit.

Laika sat in a pressurized compartment within a capsule that weighed 1,103 pounds (500 kilograms). She died after a few days in orbit. On April 14, 1958, Sputnik 2 reentered the Earth's atmosphere. According to some sources, the dog was actually a Russian breed called a samoyed laika, and was named "Kudyavka" or "Limonchik."

Sources: The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Space, p. 48; Curtis, Anthony R. Space Almanac, p. 425; Wood, Gerald L. The Guinness Book of Pet Records, p. 39.

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass