![]() The third dog, Mushka, was a “control dog” - she was to stay on the ground and be used to test instrumentation and life support. Albina, who had already flown twice on a high-altitude test rocket, was to act as Laika’s backup. Laika was to be the “flight dog” - a sacrifice to science on a one-way mission to space. Finally, Vladimir Yazdovsky made the final selection of dogs and their designated roles. There was a wide search for dogs and they had a couple to choose from. ![]() Soviet scientists assumed that a stray dog would be the perfect test subject because they would have already learned to endure harsh conditions of hunger and cold temperatures. (The name Laika is derived from the Russian-language word for “bark.”) She was rescued from the streets of Moscow. Apparently the Soviet scientists had insufficient time to perfect life-support systems because of intense political pressure to launch Sputnik 2 in time for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution.Laika was young, a two-year-old husky mix. It was belatedly made known that Laika’s pulse rate, which had been measured with electrodes, tripled during takeoff and only came down somewhat during weightlessness. ![]() Laika had actually survived only about five to seven hours after liftoff before dying of overheating and panic. In 2002, however, Russian scientist Dimitri Malashenkov revealed that the previous accounts of her death were false. Laika’s sad fate aroused worldwide concern and sympathy. The satellite was destroyed reentering Earth’s atmosphere on April 14, 1958. The satellite and its passenger soon acquired the journalistic nickname of “Muttnik.” Contemporaneous Soviet accounts implied that the dog was kept alive for six or seven days into the mission and then euthanized with poisoned food before her oxygen supply could run out. When the launch was announced, Laika became an international celebrity. What makes a planet a dwarf planet? How many miles are in a light-year? What exactly is a quasar? Launch into other worlds while testing your knowledge about space, celestial bodies, and the solar system. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.
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