In 1957, a stray dog named Laika became the first animal to orbit Earth
A stray dog from the streets of Moscow made history in 1957 as the first living creature to orbit the Earth, paving the way for human spaceflight at a heartbreaking cost.
On November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2 with a small passenger named Laika. Found as a stray in Moscow, she was chosen for her calm temperament and small size. This mission proved that a living organism could survive the launch and weightlessness of space.
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