Laika (/ ˈ l aɪ k ə / LY-kə; Russian: Лайка, IPA:; 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. A stray mongrel from the streets of Moscow, she flew aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft, launched into low orbit on 3 November 1957.

Apr 11, 2018 · With a pounding heart and rapid breath, Laika rode a rocket into Earth orbit, 2,000 miles above Moscow streets she knew. Overheated, cramped, frightened, and probably hungry, the space dog gave...

Mar 30, 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 not survive the mission, but her actual fate was misrepresented for decades.

Jan 14, 2022 · Laika was the first living creature to orbit Earth. On Nov. 3, 1957, the Soviet Union lofted a dog named Laika aboard the satellite Sputnik 2.

Mar 20, 2025 · Laika, a stray dog from the streets of Moscow, was in fact, the first living creature to orbit the Earth, who was launched aboard the Soviet satellite Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. She was ...

Laika, the Russian term for a few breeds of dogs akin to the husky, was the name that gained global popularity. The experiment aimed to show that a living organism could survive the dramatic ...

Jan 11, 2025 · On November 3rd, 1957, the Soviet Union made history by launching the first living creature into Earth’s orbit: not a human, but a dog. This journey aboard the Soviet spacecraft, Sputnik 2,...

Nov 3, 2017 · Alex Wellerstein examines the legacy of Laika, the Soviet space dog launched sixty years ago aboard Sputnik 2, humanity’s second-ever satellite.

On this day, Nov. 3, in 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first-ever living animal into orbit: a dog named Laika. The flight was meant to test the safety of space travel for humans, but it was...

Who hasn’t heard of Laika, the little stray dog who became the first living creature to orbit Earth? Her journey wasn’t just a giant leap for science—it was a deeply emotional chapter in the story of space exploration.