Who Was Laika the Space Dog? A Quick Guide For Kids
- Imagining History
- Apr 14
- 1 min read
It’s A Space Race, And This Dog’s Gone And Won:
Who Was Laika the Space Dog?
Laika was a good dog. A very good dog. Laika, a two-year old mixed-breed doggo, was originally a stray off the streets of Moscow in Russia. But she soon found herself a new home, and a new purpose, at the Soviet spaceflight program.
Space Training
Here she trained up to be a real life “space-dog” (this is not an official term, I just thought it sounded adorable!). She was trained to accept food in jellied form that could be served when she was floating around all weightless and gravity-less in space. She was also trained to get used to sitting in the small space within a satellite. It was tricky training but Laika was the perfect pooch and soon found herself chosen for a special space mission.
Becoming A Famous Astro-Dog
On November 3, 1957 Laika became the first living creature to be launched into orbit around planet Earth. She was sent into space on the artificial satellite Sputnik 2. The launch made Laika famous and her voyage was nicknamed "Muttnik".
Laika's Legacy
Laika was just one of at least 57 dogs that were sent into space by the Soviet spaceflight program. In 2008, a statue of Laika was revealed on a monument in Moscow. Unfortunately, Laika didn’t survive her flight, but she will always be remembered for being the bravest pooch, both on and off the planet.