Sputnik 2

Training and voyage

The dog that would later be named Laika was found as a stray wandering the streets of Moscow. She was a mongrel female, approximately three years old, and weighed about 6 kg (13 lb). Soviet personnel gave her several names and nicknames, among them Kudryavka (Russian for Little Curly), Zhuchka (Little Bug) and Limonchik (Little Lemon). Laika, the Russian name for several breeds of dogs similar to the husky, was the name popularized around the world. The American press dubbed her Muttnik (mutt + suffix -nik) as a pun on Sputnik,^[6] or referred to her as Curly.^[7] Her true pedigree is unknown, although it is generally accepted that she was part husky or other Nordic breed, and possibly part terrier.^[8]

Controversy

Due to the overshadowing issue of the Soviet vs. American Space Race, the humane violations of this experiment went largely unaddressed for some time. As newspaper clippings from 1957 show,^[1] the press was more preoccupied with reporting the political perspective, while the health and retrieval (or lack thereof) of Laika was hardly mentioned. Only later were there widespread discussions regarding the fate of the dog.

Laika in popular culture

Notes

• Angliss, Sarah and Uttley, Colin. Science in the Dock: The man who trained the space dogs. Retrieved January 28, 2005.
• Anon. An Internet memorial to Laika. Retrieved September 1, 2004.
• Chase, Robin. Muttnik: A Tribute to Laika. Retrieved January 28, 2005.
• Grahn, Sven. Sputnik-2, more news from distant history. Retrieved September 1, 2004.
• NSSDC Master Catalog: Sputnik 2 (2003-11-26). Retrieved September 1, 2004.
• On This Day, November 3 - 1957: Russians launch dog into space. BBC News. Retrieved September 1, 2004.
• Soviet Fires New Satellite, Carrying Dog; Half-Ton Sphere Is Reported 900 Miles Up (November 3, 1957). New York Times.
• Whitehouse, David (October 28, 2002). First dog in space died within hours, BBC News Online.
• Zak, Anatoly (November 3, 1999). The True Story of Laika the Dog. space.com.
• Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Opportunity arrives at "Vostok". Retrieved March 24, 2005.