On November 3, 1957, a Soviet space dog named Laika became the first animal to orbit Earth.
‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on Space.com
Laika was a 3-year-old stray husky-spitz mix from the streets of Moscow, and she was recruited by the Soviet space program for her small size and calm temperament. Unfortunately for her, this mission was a one-way trip. The Soviets didn't design a way to bring her back down to Earth. With only 7 days worth of oxygen and a little bit of food on board, Laika launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with a Russian Sputnik rocket. This was the same kind of rocket used to launch the first Sputnik satellite. She was alive when she reached orbit, but she died shortly afterward because the spacecraft's heat shield had broken off. Laika overheated before she had the chance to die of starvation of oxygen deprivation.
‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on Space.com
Laika was a 3-year-old stray husky-spitz mix from the streets of Moscow, and she was recruited by the Soviet space program for her small size and calm temperament. Unfortunately for her, this mission was a one-way trip. The Soviets didn't design a way to bring her back down to Earth. With only 7 days worth of oxygen and a little bit of food on board, Laika launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with a Russian Sputnik rocket. This was the same kind of rocket used to launch the first Sputnik satellite. She was alive when she reached orbit, but she died shortly afterward because the spacecraft's heat shield had broken off. Laika overheated before she had the chance to die of starvation of oxygen deprivation.
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TechTranscript
00:00On this day in space.
00:03On November 3rd, 1957, a Soviet space dog named Laika became the first animal to orbit
00:09Earth.
00:10Laika was a three-year-old stray husky-spitz mix from the streets of Moscow, and she was
00:14recruited by the Soviet space program for her small size and calm temperament.
00:19Unfortunately for her, this mission was a one-way trip.
00:22The Soviets didn't design a way to bring her back down to Earth.
00:26With only seven days' worth of oxygen and a little bit of food on board, Laika launched
00:30from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with a Russian Sputnik rocket.
00:35This was the same kind of rocket used to launch the first Sputnik satellite.
00:38She was alive when she reached orbit, but she died shortly afterward because the spacecraft's
00:42heat shield had broken off.
00:45Laika overheated before she had the chance to die of starvation or oxygen deprivation.
00:50And that's what happened on this day in space.