It is a story familiar to many. A story that, at first, brings a smile to people’s faces. The story of a dog who, dressed in a specially designed space suit, was sent into space on humanity’s journey to explore the cosmos. Yet a closer look at the details of the mission, its outcome, and even the assumptions on which it was based changes everything. The smile quickly gives way to sadness.

The Cold War on Every Front

The Cold War, which began in the late 1940s,  was a period of constant tension and rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States. This confrontation extended across many fields, including the creation of competing political and military alliances and the rapid expansion of military power. The development of armed forces and military technology was evident on land, at sea, beneath the waves, and in the air. Soon, however, an entirely new arena of competition emerged: outer space. Both superpowers embarked on a race to explore and master space. The Space Race is generally considered to have begun on 4 October 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, into Earth orbit.

Another Month, Another Step

The success of the Soviet scientists spurred their counterparts in the United States into action. The American public was taken by surprise, while politicians viewed the Soviet achievement with growing alarm. The United States needed to respond – and to do so quickly and effectively. At the same time, the success of Sputnik gave the Soviet programme fresh momentum. Moscow’s next objective, already under development for some time, was to place a living creature into Earth orbit. Buoyed by their recent success, the Soviet leadership was determined to achieve this as quickly as possible. Until then, both the Soviet Union and the United States had used a variety of animals in experimental space flights. Dogs, chimpanzees, mice… Some missions ended successfully, with the animals returning safely to Earth. Far more often, however, the missions ended in tragedy, and the animal astronauts died during flight, on landing, or shortly afterwards. None of these animals, however, had yet reached Earth orbit. That was about to change.

Ten dogs were initially selected by the Soviet programme and subjected to a series of increasingly demanding trials and tests. The first stage was designed to accustom them to prolonged confinement in a very restricted space. Their movements were limited to an absolute minimum, while the duration of the tests was gradually extended, eventually reaching 20 days. The dogs were then tested for their ability to withstand loud noise, high acceleration, and intense vibration – all conditions expected during a spaceflight.

Following these trials, the group of potential canine cosmonauts was reduced to six. The remaining dogs were subjected to further tests involving changes in temperature, air pressure, and the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Afterwards, they were trained to use a specially designed waste-collection device that would allow them to relieve themselves during the flight.

Throughout the programme, the scientists compiled detailed reports recording each dog’s reactions to the various stages of testing. According to the test results, the dog that achieved the best performance and already had experience in experimental flights was a female named Albina. However, Albina was a favourite among the scientists, who regarded her as having already made a valuable contribution to scientific research. In addition, she had recently given birth to a litter of puppies, and the researchers were reluctant to separate her from them. For these reasons, the two-year-old Kudryavka (Little Curly), who was renamed Laika shortly before the mission, was selected as the principal candidate for the flight.

The Flight… and the End

At 7:30 a.m. Moscow time on 3 November 1957, the Sputnik 8K71PS rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Mounted on top of the rocket was the Sputnik 2 satellite, carrying Laika, who had been confined inside the spacecraft since 31 October. From the outset, it was understood that the dog would not survive the mission. No plans were made to bring Laika back to Earth, and the spacecraft was not equipped with any systems that would have made her return possible. Scientists estimated that she would survive for around ten days. At that point, an automatic dispenser was intended to provide her with poisoned food, ending her life painlessly.

According to the official version released by the Soviet authorities and repeated for many years afterwards, Laika survived for several days after launch, as originally expected. In reality, she died just a few hours into the flight.

Immediately after launch, her heart rate rose to three times its resting level. It returned to normal once the spacecraft reached orbit, but the process took considerably longer than expected. In addition, the humidity inside the capsule increased, while the temperature reached 40°C. It was this combination of overheating and extreme stress that caused Laika’s vital functions to cease between the fourth and seventh hour of the mission, during Sputnik 2’s fourth orbit of the Earth. On 14 April 1958, after completing 2,570 orbits of the Earth, Sputnik 2 re-entered the atmosphere and burnt up.

The True Story, Without Illusions

The mission’s objectives, its course, and its outcome make it clear that Laika’s fate was sealed from the very beginning. Although she is by far the best-known example, Laika was not the only animal to lose its life in the name of scientific progress. Cases such as hers continue to spark debate about the price that innocent animals have paid for advances in science and technology. At the same time, it is impossible to overlook the significance of these missions. They paved the way for human spaceflight and made it possible for people to venture into space. The question remains, however: if humanity’s exploration of space had not been driven by the Cold War and the intense rivalry it fostered, and if scientific research had been allowed more time to progress, might far fewer lives have been lost?

Piotr Bosko

Translated by Małgorzata Giełzakowska