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YOIn 1957, the Soviets sent Laika into space. They never planned to bring her back.
She was a stray dog found on the streets of Moscow, picked because scientists believed strays were tougher and more used to harsh conditions than pets.
She was trained for weeks. Kept in smaller and smaller boxes to prepare her for the capsule. By all accounts, she handled it well.
On November 3rd, 1957, she was loaded into Sputnik 2 and launched into orbit. The Soviet Union told the world she survived for several days. That she was comfortable. That the mission was a success.
That was a lie..
The truth was hidden for over 45 years. Laika died within hours of launch. The thermal control system failed. The temperature inside the capsule rose to unbearable levels. She died from overheating and panic, completely alone, 2,000 kilometers above the Earth, with no way home.
There was never a plan to bring her back. The technology did not exist yet. Everyone involved knew it was a one way trip before she ever left the ground.
Sputnik 2 kept orbiting Earth for 5 more months with her remains inside, before burning up in the atmosphere in April 1958.
She was somewhere between 3 and 5 years old.
The scientist who trained her spent the rest of his life carrying the guilt. He said publicly that the mission did not justify what they put her through.
Laika never had a choice. But she changed space exploration forever.
Rest easy, girl.
Did you know the real story?
#Laika #crazyfact #facts #SpaceFacts #DidYouKnow
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