Laika (/ ˈlaɪkə / LY-kə; Russian: Лáйка, IPA: [ˈlajkə]; c. 1954 – 3 November 1957) was a Soviet space dog who was one of the first animals in space and the first to orbit the Earth.

Apr 11, 2018 · Laika was not the first space dog: Some had soared in the Soviet military’s sub-orbital rocket tests of updated German V-2 rockets after World War II, and they had returned to Earth via ...

Dec 13, 2025 · Laika, a dog that was the first living creature to be launched into Earth orbit, on board the Soviet artificial satellite Sputnik 2, on November 3, 1957. It was always understood that Laika would …

Jun 10, 2025 · Initial reports from Russia claimed she lived several days in space, but in 2002, an experimenter from the Sputnik 2 mission officially revealed that Laika cooked to death within hours of …

Feb 9, 2010 · The Soviet Union launches the first animal to orbit the earth into space—a dog nicknamed Laika—aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft.

Jul 31, 2025 · Leading Soviet space-life scientists, Vladimir Yazdovsky and Oleg Gazenko, undertook the training of the three dogs chosen for the Sputnik 2 flight, including Laika.

Jul 30, 2025 · Chosen by the Soviet space program for a bold and risky mission aboard Sputnik 2, Laika’s journey was meant to last seven to ten days. But the truth behind what happened during that …

Nov 6, 2017 · Hurriedly prepared to take advantage of the propaganda value of the first satellite, Sputnik 2 utilized an animal habitat and carried the dog Laika, the first animal to orbit the Earth.

Oct 23, 2024 · Laika was a stray dog from the streets of Moscow, where Soviet rocket scientists collected stray dogs to send to space. They wanted to understand the effects of launch, microgravity, …

May 7, 2025 · Laika, a stray dog, was the first living creature to orbit Earth on Sputnik 2 in 1957. Despite the achievement, Laika died in space due to the lack of a re-entry plan. Laika's journey raised global …