★ LAIKA · ЛАЙКА
★ Soviet Space Program

LAIKA

The First Dog in Space

November 3, 1957 · Sputnik 2

Laika was the first living creature to orbit the Earth.

Read her story

Small body, great legacy.

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★ $LAIKA on Solana

One small dog, one giant orbit. Join Laika's mission on-chain.

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01 The Story

I

A Moscow Street Dog

Laika was a gentle stray, about three years old. Scientists chose street dogs because they were already used to cold, hunger and harsh conditions. Her name means "barker" in Russian.

II

The Journey of Sputnik 2

On 3 November 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2. Laika became the first living creature to complete an orbit around the Earth — just one month after Sputnik 1.

III

A Lasting Legacy

Her mission proved that a living being could survive launch and weightlessness. She paved the way for Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, in 1961.

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02 Timeline

  1. 1954

    Found on the Streets

    Laika is picked up as a stray from the streets of Moscow and selected for training.

  2. 1957

    Intensive Training

    She gets used to tiny spaces, spinning chairs and machines that mimic the sound and vibration of a launch.

  3. 3·XI·1957

    Launch of Sputnik 2

    From the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Sputnik 2 lifts off — with Laika aboard, she becomes the first to orbit the Earth.

  4. 1961

    The Path to Human Spaceflight

    Laika's mission makes crewed spaceflight possible. Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space.

  5. 2008

    A Monument in Moscow

    Russia unveils a statue of Laika standing atop a rocket — a tribute to her sacrifice for science.

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03 By the Numbers

0Year of the Mission
0First Animal in Orbit
0Kg — Weight of Sputnik 2
0Minutes per Orbit
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04 In Memoriam

“ The more time passes, the more I'm sorry about it. We did not learn enough from the mission to justify the death of the dog. — Oleg Gazenko, scientist on the Sputnik program

Laika never returned to Earth, but her courage opened the door to the stars for everyone who came after her. Thank you, little hero.

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