![]() There are mixed reports about what happened next, but the official Soviet version was that Laika was able to live in space for a week, and then she was euthanized remotely. The official story was that her heartbeat was fast at the launch, but she calmed down and was able to eat a specially prepared meal in orbit. Once the launch was successful, doctors were able to keep track of her heartbeat and her blood pressure. ![]() Operators had to keep her warm by pumping hot air into her cockpit as the temperatures around the launch pad were freezing. She had to wait for three days before launch locked inside the capsule whilst technical problems with the launch were fixed. Unfortunately Laika’s trip was far from humane. There was intense excitement about her selection for participation in the space race and she endeared herself to scientists and the public she was described as “quiet and charming”. After all, the first Russian into space would need to be photogenic. Two year old Laika was apparently chosen from the animal shelter in Moscow for her good looks. Also, small dogs were chosen as they could fit into the capsule and were light for launch. The dogs chosen for the Russian space program were usually stray mongrels as it was believed they could survive and adapt in harsh conditions. Due to her being so small and hardy, she made it into orbit, but this was a one way ticket, she had no idea there would be no coming home… be warned, this isn’t a happy tale… ![]() When she made the historic flight into space on board Sputnik II, very little was known about the effects of launch and zero-gravity on an animal and Laika wasn’t thought to make it. Her little memorial is a model dog standing atop a rocket near a military research facility in Moscow. On Friday Russian officials unveiled a monument to Laika, the pioneering dog that led the way to manned spaceflight on November 3rd, 1957. ![]()
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