Content
- Laika, a mutt welcomed for an experience
- The training of astronaut dogs
- The story they told and the one that actually happened
- Laika's happy days
Although we are not always aware of this, on multiple occasions, the advances that human beings make would not be possible without the participation of animals and, unfortunately, many of these advances are only beneficial to us. Surely you must remember the dog that traveled to space. But where did this dog come from, how did he prepare for this experience and what happened to him?
In this article by PeritoAnimal we want to name this brave dog and tell his whole story: the story of Laika - the first living being to be launched into space.
Laika, a mutt welcomed for an experience
The United States and the Soviet Union were in full space race but, at no point in this journey, did they reflect on what the consequences would be for human beings if they left planet earth.
This uncertainty carried many risks, enough not to be taken by any human being and, for that reason, decided to experiment with animals.
Several stray dogs were collected from the streets of Moscow for this purpose. According to the statements at the time, these puppies would be more prepared for a space trip because they would have withstood more extreme weather conditions. Among them was Laika, a medium-sized stray dog with a very sociable, quiet, and calm character.
The training of astronaut dogs
These puppies designed to assess the effects of space travel had to undergo a traininghard and cruel which can be summarized in three points:
- They were placed in centrifuges that simulated the acceleration of a rocket.
- They were placed in machines that mimicked the noise of the spacecraft.
- Progressively, they were being placed in smaller and smaller cages to get used to the scarce size they would have available on the spacecraft.
Obviously, the health of these puppies (36 puppies were specifically removed from the streets) was weakened by this training. The simulation of acceleration and noise caused rises in blood pressure and, furthermore, as they were in increasingly smaller cages, they stopped urinating and defecating, which led to the need to administer laxatives.
The story they told and the one that actually happened
Due to her quiet character and her small size, Laika was finally chosen on November 3, 1957 and undertook a space voyage aboard Sputnik 2. The story told concealed the risks. Supposedly, Laika would be safe inside the spacecraft, relying on automatic water and food dispensers to keep her life safe for the duration of the voyage. However, that is not what happened.
The responsible entities stated that Laika died painlessly when depleting the oxygen inside the ship, but that is not what happened either. So what actually happened? Now we know what really happened through the people who participated in the project and decided, in 2002, to tell the sad truth to the whole world.
Regrettably, Laika died a few hours later to start its journey, due to a panic attack triggered by the overheating of the ship. Sputnik 2 continued to orbit in space with Laika's body for 5 months. When it returned to earth in April 1958, it burned when it came into contact with the atmosphere.
Laika's happy days
The person in charge of the training program for astronaut dogs, Dr. Vladimir Yadovsky, knew perfectly well that Laika would not survive, but he could not remain indifferent to the wonderful character of this puppy.
Days before Laika's space trip, he decided to welcome her to his home so he could enjoy the last days of her life. During these brief days, Laika was accompanied by a human family and played with the children of the house. Without a shadow of a doubt, this was the only destination that Laika deserved, which will remain in our memory for being the first living being to be released on space.
