Laika, a mixed breed from Russia, was just one of countless animals used in the relentless pursuit of human discovery, as we strive to explore unchartered territories for greater understanding of the universe

The heart-wrenching tale of Laika, the dog who was sent into space to orbit the earth with no return ticket, has sparked renewed sorrow online.

Laika, a mixed breed from Russia, was merely one of countless animals used in the relentless quest for human discovery, as we endeavour to explore uncharted territories for a deeper understanding of the cosmos.

Despite the small dog holding the unique title of being one of the first animals in space, it offered no comfort as she was propelled away from earth, the sole passenger aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft.

The innocent young pooch was discovered wandering the streets of Moscow and was estimated to be just three-years-old. Her gentle, friendly demeanour led scientists to deem her the ideal candidate for their experiment.

On November 3, 1957, she was launched into low orbit following weeks of training which involved acclimatising her to increasingly smaller crates and cages.

At that time, little was understood about the impact of spaceflight on living organisms, and animal flights were considered by engineers as an essential and integral step before human missions could occur.

After the little dog was found, Soviet personnel gave her several names including Kudryavka, Russian for ‘Little Curly’, Limonchik translating to ‘Little Lemon’, and Zhuchka, meaning ‘Little Bug’.

Laika, the Russian term for a few breeds of dogs similar to the husky, was the name that gained worldwide recognition.

The experiment was designed to prove that a living organism could withstand the extreme forces of being catapulted into space. Data from Laika’s vital signs aimed to validate scientific hypotheses that life could sustain itself in conditions of diminished gravity and higher radiation levels.

The readouts from the devices tracking her indicated she experienced stress and restlessness during the journey.

Over five months following launch, on April 14 1958, Sputnik 2 along with what remained of Laika, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrated.

Thanks to Laika’s ordeal, scientists garnered initial insights into the biological impacts of space travel.

Initially, it was suspected that Laika perished due to a malfunction in the central R-7 sustainer detaching from the spacecraft. The Soviet Union issued varying reports regarding her death over time, including assertions that she passed away seven hours into her flight.

In 2002, more truthful details were revealed about the real cause and timing of her passing. It became publicly known that she died after depleting her oxygen supply on the sixth day of solitary confinement within a cramped space capsule.

Her tale has recently resurfaced on social media through the widely-followed page, Fantastic Things in the World.

Accompanied by a depiction of a model of Laika gazing out from the spacecraft, the author of the post wrote: “Every year… I feel compelled to tell this story and possibly do it with new words.”

The tribute concluded in an emotional tone: “There’s a deep guilt that all of us should feel reading what we did to Laika. Human progress has often been achieved at the expense of animals that had nothing to do with our desire for supremacy.

“Many people believe this was an acceptable price for our conquests, but it seems obvious, even reading this story, that it was really just a trivial form of prevarication.”

The poignant tribute ended with: “We had a duty to choose another path. We still have that duty today. Sorry humanity has failed you, Laika”.