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{{Short description|Soviet dog, first animal to orbit Earth (c. 1954–1957)}}
{{About|the Soviet dog|the Greek genre of music|Laïko|other uses|Laika (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox animal
| birth_name  = Laika ({{lang|ru|Лайка}})
| image       = Laika (Soviet dog).jpg
| landscape   = yes
| alt         = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption     = Laika in a flight harness
| othername   = Kudryavka ({{lang|ru|Кудрявка}}, "Curly")
| species     = ''[[Canis familiaris]]''
| breed       = [[Mongrel]], possibly part-[[husky]] (or part-[[Samoyed (dog)|Samoyed]]) and part-[[terrier]]
| gender      = Female
| birth_date  = {{circa|1954}}
| birth_place = Moscow, [[Russian SFSR]], Soviet&nbsp;Union
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1957|11|3|1954||df=y}}
| death_place = [[Sputnik 2]], in [[low Earth orbit]]
| death_cause = [[Hyperthermia]]
| relativeage =
| known       = First animal to orbit the Earth
| tricks      =
| awards      =
| title       =
| term        =
| predecessor =
| successor   =
| owner       = [[Soviet space program]]
| parents     =
| children    =
| weight      = {{convert|5|kg|lb}}
| height      =
| appearance  =
| namedafter  =
| website     =
}}
{{Soviet space program sidebar|Notable figures}}

'''Laika''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|aɪ|k|ə}} {{respell|LY|kə}}; {{langx|ru|link=no|Лáйка}}, {{IPA|ru|ˈlajkə|IPA}}; {{circa|1954}} – 3 November 1957) was a [[Soviet space dog]] who was one of the first [[animals in space]] and the first to [[orbit]] the Earth. A [[Feral|stray]] [[mongrel]] from the streets of Moscow, she flew aboard the [[Sputnik 2]] spacecraft, launched into [[Low Earth orbit|low orbit]] on 3 November 1957. As the technology to [[Atmospheric entry|re-enter the atmosphere]] had not yet been developed, Laika's survival was never expected. She died of [[hyperthermia]] hours into the flight, on the craft's fourth orbit.

Little was known about the effects of [[spaceflight]] on living creatures at the time of Laika's mission, and animal flights were viewed by engineers as a necessary precursor to [[human spaceflight|human missions]].{{r|RussiaOpensMonument}} The experiment, which monitored Laika's vital signs, aimed to prove that a living organism could survive being launched into orbit and continue to function under conditions of [[Micro-g environment|weakened gravity]] and increased radiation, providing scientists with some of the first data on the [[biological effects of spaceflight]].

Laika's death was possibly caused by a failure of the central [[R-7 Semyorka|R{{nbh}}7 sustainer]] to separate from the payload. The true cause and time of her death were not made public until 2002; instead, it was widely reported that she died when her oxygen ran out on day six or, as the Soviet government initially claimed, she was [[euthanised]] prior to [[oxygen depletion]]. In 2008, a small monument to Laika depicting her standing atop a rocket was unveiled near the military research facility in Moscow that prepared her flight. She also appears on the ''[[Monument to the Conquerors of Space]]'' in Moscow.

==Sputnik 2==
{{Main|Sputnik 2}}

After the success of [[Sputnik 1]] in October 1957, [[Nikita Khrushchev]], leader of the Soviet Union, wanted a spacecraft launched on 7 November 1957 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the [[October Revolution]].{{sfn|Chertok|2006|p=387}} Khrushchev specifically wanted to deliver a "space spectacular", a mission that would repeat the triumph of Sputnik{{spaces}}1, stunning the world with Soviet prowess.{{r|AJL}} 

While construction had already started on [[Sputnik&nbsp;3]], a more sophisticated satellite, it would not be ready until December. To meet the November deadline, a new simple satellite would need to be built.{{r|NASA3}}  [[Sergei Korolev]] proposed that a dog be placed in the satellite, an idea which was quickly adopted by planners.{{sfn|Chertok|2006|p=388}} Soviet rocket engineers had long intended a canine orbit before attempting human spaceflight; since 1951, they had lofted 12 dogs into sub-orbital space on ballistic flights, working gradually toward an orbital mission set for some time in 1958. To satisfy Khrushchev's demands, they expedited the orbital canine flight for the November launch.{{r|AJL}}

According to Russian sources, the official decision to launch Sputnik{{spaces}}2 was made on 10 or 12 October, leaving less than four weeks to design and build the spacecraft.{{r|AZ}} Sputnik{{spaces}}2, therefore, was something of a rushed job, with most elements of the spacecraft being constructed from rough sketches. Aside from the primary mission of sending a living passenger into space, Sputnik{{spaces}}2 also contained instrumentation for measuring [[solar irradiance]] and [[cosmic ray]]s.{{r|NASA3}}<!--http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0211/articles/021103a.htm-->

The craft was equipped with a life-support system consisting of an [[oxygen generator]] and devices to avoid [[oxygen poisoning]] and to absorb [[carbon dioxide]]. A fan, designed to activate whenever the cabin temperature exceeded {{convert|15|°C|°F|abbr=on}}, was added to keep the dog cool. Enough food (in a gelatinous form) was provided for a seven-day flight, and the dog was fitted with a bag to collect waste. A [[Dog harness|harness]] was designed to be fitted to the dog, and there were chains to restrict her movements to standing, sitting, or lying down; there was no room to turn around in the cabin. An [[electrocardiogram]] monitored heart rate and further instrumentation tracked respiration rate, maximum arterial pressure, and the dog's movements.{{r|DM}}{{r|SPUT1}}

==Training==
Laika was found as a [[street dogs in Moscow|stray dog wandering the streets of Moscow]].<ref name=AJL/> Soviet scientists chose to use Moscow strays since they assumed that such animals had already learned to endure conditions of extreme cold and hunger.{{r|AJL}} She was a {{convert|5|kg|adj=on|spell=in}}{{r|laika}} [[mongrel]] female, approximately three years old. Another account reported that she weighed about {{convert|6|kg|spell=in}}.{{r|AJL}} Soviet personnel gave her several names and nicknames, among them '''Kudryavka''' (Russian for ''Little Curly''), '''Zhuchka''' (''Little Bug''), and '''Limonchik''' (''Little Lemon'').<ref>{{cite web |title=Dog Story |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,868045-2,00.html |website=Time |publisher=Time |access-date=10 November 2025}}</ref> Laika, the Russian name for several [[Laika (dog breed)|breeds of dogs]] similar to the [[husky]], was the name popularised around the world. Its literal translation would be "Barker", from the Russian verb "layat" (''лаять''), "to bark".<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Caswell |first=Kurt |title=Laika's Window: the Legacy of a Soviet Space Dog |date=2018 |publisher=Trinity University Press |isbn=978-1-59534-862-3 |location=San Antonio |pages=}}</ref> According to some accounts, the technicians actually renamed her from Kudryavka to Laika owing to her loud barking.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://habr.com/ru/post/374197/| title = "Epoch of the Dog: Names and Stories of the Soviet Space Exploration" (in Russian).| date = 27 January 2018| access-date = 23 July 2020| archive-date = 23 July 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200723092737/https://habr.com/ru/post/374197/| url-status = live}}</ref> The American press dubbed her Muttnik (''[[mongrel|mutt]]'' + suffix ''[[-nik]]'') as a pun on [[Sputnik program|Sputnik]],{{r|NASA}} or referred to her as ''Curly''.{{r|BL}} Her true pedigree is unknown, although it is generally accepted that she was part husky or other Nordic breed, and possibly part [[terrier]].{{r|AJL}} NASA refers to Laika as a "part-[[Samoyed (dog)|Samoyed]] terrier".{{r|Sputnik2}} A Russian magazine described her temperament as [[phlegmatic]], saying that she did not quarrel with other dogs.{{r|laika}}

The Soviet Union and United States had previously sent animals only on [[sub-orbital spaceflight|sub-orbital]] flights.{{r|STO}} Three dogs were trained for the Sputnik{{spaces}}2 flight: [[Soviet space dogs#Albina and Tsyganka|Albina]], [[Mushka]], and Laika.{{r|BBC}} Soviet space-life scientists [[Vladimir Yazdovsky]] and [[Oleg Gazenko]] trained the dogs.{{r|NLM}}<ref name=":0" />

To adapt the dogs to the confines of the tiny cabin of Sputnik{{spaces}}2, they were kept in progressively smaller cages for periods of up to twenty days. The extensive close confinement caused them to stop urinating or defecating, made them restless, and caused their general condition to deteriorate. [[Laxatives]] did not improve their condition, and the researchers found that only long periods of training proved effective. The dogs were placed in [[centrifuge]]s that simulated the acceleration of a rocket launch and were placed in machines that simulated the noises of the spacecraft. This caused their pulses to double and their [[blood pressure]] to increase by {{convert|30|-|65|torr|lk=on}}. The dogs were trained to eat a special high-nutrition gel that would be their food in space. It was made up of 40% [[Breadcrumbs|bread crumbs]], 40% [[Meat|powdered meat]] and 20% [[beef fat]] mixed with [[agar]] and water. Presumably the formula was {{convert|200|ml}} of water, agar, and {{convert|100|g}} of food.{{r|SPUT1}}<ref name=":0" />

Ten days before the launch, Vladimir Yazdovsky chose Laika to be the primary flight dog.{{sfn|Chertok|2006|p=396}} Before the launch, Yazdovsky took Laika home to play with his children. In a book chronicling the story of Soviet space medicine, he wrote, "Laika was quiet and charming{{spaces}}... I wanted to do something nice for her: She had so little time left to live."{{r|APSTAT}}

==Preflight preparations==
[[File:Лайка (собака-космонавт)1.jpg|thumb|left|Laika in a mock cockpit]]

Yazdovsky made the final selection of dogs and their designated roles. Laika was to be the "flight dog"{{snd}}a sacrifice to science on a one-way mission to space.{{r|russianspaceweb1}} Albina, who had already flown twice on a high-altitude test [[rocket]], was to act as Laika's backup. She was not sent as the primary due to Albina recently giving birth to three pups, and thus Yazdovsky thought it cruel to send Albina the primary and separate a mother from their children.<ref name=":0" /> The third dog, Mushka, was a "[[Scientific control|control dog]]"{{snd}}she was to stay on the ground and be used to test instrumentation and [[life support]].{{r|SPUT1}}{{r|STO}}<ref name=":0" />

Before leaving for the [[Baikonur Cosmodrome]], Yazdovsky and Gazenko conducted surgery on the dogs, routing the cables from the transmitters to the sensors that would measure breathing, pulse, and blood pressure.{{sfnp|Siddiqi|2000|p=173|ps=none}}<ref name=":0" />

Because the existing airstrip at [[Turatam]] near the cosmodrome was small, the dogs and crew had to be first flown aboard a [[Tu-104|Tu{{nbh}}104]] plane to [[Tashkent]]. From there, a smaller and lighter [[Ilyushin Il-14|Il{{nbh}}14]] plane took them to Turatam. Training of dogs continued upon arrival; one after another they were placed in the capsules to get familiar with the feeding system.{{r|russianspaceweb1}}

According to a [[NASA]] document, Laika was placed in the capsule of the satellite on 31 October 1957{{snd}}three days before the start of the mission.{{r|SPUT1}} At that time of year, the temperatures at the launch site were extremely low, and a hose connected to a heater was used to keep her container warm. Two assistants were assigned to keep a constant watch on Laika before launch. Just prior to liftoff on 3 November 1957, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Laika's fur was sponged in a weak [[ethanol]] solution and carefully groomed, while [[iodine]] was painted onto the areas where sensors would be placed to monitor her bodily functions.{{r|LM}}

One of the technicians preparing the capsule before final lift-off stated: "After placing Laika in the container and before closing the hatch, we kissed her nose and wished her bon voyage, knowing that she would not survive the flight."{{r|russianspaceweb1}}

==Voyage==
Accounts of the time of launch vary from source to source, given as 05:30:42 Moscow Time or 07:22 Moscow Time.{{r|russianspaceweb1}}

At peak acceleration, Laika's respiration increased to between three and four times the pre-launch rate.{{r|SPUT1}} The sensors showed her heart rate was 103 beats/min before launch and increased to 240 beats/min during the early acceleration. After reaching orbit, Sputnik{{spaces}}2's [[nose cone]] was jettisoned successfully; however, the "Block A" core did not separate as planned, preventing the thermal control system from operating correctly. Some of the [[thermal insulation]] tore loose, raising the cabin temperature to {{convert|40|°C|°F|abbr=on}}.{{r|Sputnik2}} After three hours of [[weightlessness]], Laika's pulse rate had settled back to 102 beats/min,{{r|JAP}} three times longer than it had taken during earlier ground tests, an indication of the stress she was under. The early [[telemetry]] indicated that Laika was agitated but eating her food.{{r|Sputnik2}} After approximately five to seven hours into the flight, no further signs of life were received from the spacecraft.{{r|SPUT1}}

The Soviet scientists had planned to euthanise Laika with a serving of poisoned food. For many years, the [[Soviet Union]] gave conflicting statements that she had died either from [[asphyxia]],{{r|Beischer1962}} when the batteries failed, or that she had been euthanised. Many rumours circulated about the exact manner of her death. In 1999, several Russian sources reported that Laika had died when the cabin overheated on the fourth day.{{r|AZ}} In October 2002, Dimitri Malashenkov, one of the scientists behind the Sputnik{{spaces}}2 mission, revealed that Laika had died by the fourth circuit{{NoteTag|content=The satellite's orbit had a period of 103.7 minutes.}} of flight from overheating. According to a paper he presented to the [[World Space Congress]] in [[Houston|Houston, Texas]], "It turned out that it was practically impossible to create a reliable temperature control system in such limited time constraints."{{r|DM}}

Over five months later, after 2,570 orbits, Sputnik{{spaces}}2 disintegrated during re-entry on 14 April 1958.{{r|MA}}

==Ethics of animal testing==
[[File:Opportunity-Laikia-soil-target-sol-400.jpg|thumb|upright|NASA named this soil target on Mars after Laika during the [[Mars Exploration Rover]] mission.]]

Due to the overshadowing issue of the Soviet–U.S. [[Space Race]], the ethical issues raised by this experiment, which were a matter of concern in the west,<ref name=":0" /> went largely unaddressed for some time. As newspaper clippings from 1957 show, the press was initially focused on reporting the political perspective, while Laika's health and retrieval{{snd}}or lack thereof{{snd}}only became an issue later.{{r|45YRSLATER}}

Sputnik 2 was not designed to be retrievable, and it had always been accepted that Laika would die.{{r|AZ}}<ref name=":0" /> The mission sparked a debate across the globe on the [[mistreatment of animals]] and [[animal testing]] in general to advance science.{{r|NLM}} In the United Kingdom, the [[Dogs Trust|National Canine Defence League]] called on all dog owners to observe a minute's silence on each day Laika remained in space, while the [[Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals]] (RSPCA) received protests even before [[Radio Moscow]] had finished announcing the launch. [[Animal rights]] groups at the time called on members of the public to protest at Soviet embassies.{{r|BBCold}} Others demonstrated outside the United Nations in New York.{{r|NLM}} Laboratory researchers in the [[United States|US]] offered some support for the Soviets, at least before the news of Laika's death.{{r|NLM}}{{r|NSMR}}

In [[Warsaw Pact]] countries, open criticism of the Soviet space program was difficult because of political censorship, but there were notable cases of criticism in Polish scientific circles. A Polish scientific periodical, ''Kto, Kiedy, Dlaczego'' ("Who, When, Why"), published in 1958, discussed the mission of Sputnik{{spaces}}2. In the periodical's section dedicated to astronautics, [[Krzysztof Boruń]] described the Sputnik{{spaces}}2 mission as "regrettable" and criticised not bringing Laika back to Earth alive as "undoubtedly a great loss for science".{{r|KKD}}

In the Soviet Union, there was less controversy. Neither the media, books in the following years, nor the public openly questioned the decision to send a dog into space. In 1998, after the collapse of the Soviet regime, [[Oleg Gazenko]], one of the scientists responsible for sending Laika into space, expressed regret for allowing her to die:
{{Blockquote|Work with animals is a source of suffering to all of us. We treat them like babies who cannot speak. The more time passes, the more I'm sorry about it. We shouldn't have done it{{spaces}}[...] We did not learn enough from this mission to justify the death of the dog.{{r|MA}}{{r|45YRSLATER}}<!--not a reliable source:[http://www.spacedog.biz/gscfiles/gscgazscript.htm]--><!--2006-10-05 Corrected the quote and added a more reliable source: [http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0211/articles/021103a.htm]-->}}

Future space missions carrying dogs would be designed to be recovered; the first successful recovery followed the flight of [[Korabl-Sputnik&nbsp;2]], wherein the dogs [[Belka and Strelka]], alongside dozens of other organisms, safely returned to Earth.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/laika-dog-all-animals-space-1469393|title=Laika the dog: These are all the animals that have been into space|last=Georgiou|first=Aristos|date=November 3, 2019|website=Newsweek|access-date=4 November 2022|archive-date=3 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103234513/https://www.newsweek.com/laika-dog-all-animals-space-1469393|url-status=live}}</ref> Nonetheless, four other dogs later died in Soviet space missions: [[Soviet space dogs#Bars and Lisichka|Bars and Lisichka]] were killed when their R{{nbh}}7 rocket exploded shortly after launch on 28 July 1960,{{sfnp|Siddiqi|2000|p=252|ps=none}} while [[Soviet space dogs#Pchyolka and Mushka|Pchyolka and Mushka]] died when [[Korabl-Sputnik&nbsp;3]] suffered an emergency and had to be detonated.{{sfnp|Siddiqi|2000|p=259|ps=none}}

==Tribute==
[[File:Posta Romana - 1959 - Laika 120 B.jpg|thumb|right|"Laika, first traveller into cosmos" stamp issued by [[Poșta Română]] in 1957]]

Laika is memorialised in the form of a statue and plaque at [[Star City, Russia|Star City]], the Russian Cosmonaut training facility.{{r|redOrbit}} Created in 1997, Laika is positioned behind the cosmonauts with her ears erect.{{r|redOrbit}} The [[Monument to the Conquerors of Space]] in Moscow, constructed in 1964, also includes Laika.{{r|Telstar}} On 11 April 2008<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/laika-monument|title=Laika Monument|website=Atlas Obscura|access-date=3 November 2022|archive-date=3 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203064427/https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/laika-monument|url-status=live}}</ref> at the military research facility where staff had been responsible for readying Laika for the flight, officials unveiled a monument of her poised on top of a space rocket.{{r|RussiaOpensMonument}} Stamps and envelopes picturing Laika were produced, as well as branded cigarettes and matches.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-41901604|title=The dog that orbited the Earth|publisher=[[BBC News]] Magazine|work=Witness|date=8 November 2017|access-date=21 July 2018|archive-date=26 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726224459/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-41901604/the-dog-that-orbited-the-earth|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1988 the Spanish band [[Mecano]] releases the song {{ill|Laika (Mecano)|lt="Laika"|es|Laika (canción de Mecano)}} paying tribute to the flight of the dog. The end of the song  alludes to Laika's death: "There is one less dog on the Earth / And one more star in the sky".<ref>Alejandra Guzman, [https://www.unotv.com/entretenimiento/mecano-hizo-un-homenaje-a-laika-la-perrita-astronauta-con-esta-cancion/ "En el cielo, una estrella más": la canción "Laika", de Mecano, está inspirada en esta perrita] ("In the sky, one more star": the song "Laika" by Mecano is inspired by this little dog), June 2, 2022, {{ill|Uno TV|es}}</ref>

[[Karl Schroeder]] wrote a pessimistic [[near future (fiction)|near future]] science fiction novellette ''[[Laika's Ghost]]'' with the idea that in the pragmatic world, "only people ready to take up the dream of flight to other worlds are aged remnants of the former Soviet Union".<ref>[https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-widening-gyre-2012-best-of-the-year-anthologies/ "The Widening Gyre: 2012 Best of the Year Anthologies"], by [[Paul Kincaid]], ''Los Angeles Review of Books'', September 3, 2012</ref>

The 2007 graphic novel ''[[Laika (comics)|Laika]]'' by [[Nick Abadzis]] won several awards.<ref>[http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/greatgraphicnovelsforteens/annotations/08ggnt10.cfm 2008 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203231726/http://ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/greatgraphicnovelsforteens/annotations/08ggnt10.cfm |date=2009-02-03 }}, YALSA</ref>

Norwegian singer [[Emmy (Norwegian singer)|Emmy]] released a song in 2025 titled "[[Laika Party]]" to compete in the [[Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025#Eurosong 2025|Irish ''Eurosong'' selection]] for the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2025|2025 Eurovision Song Contest]]. The song tells a story about the singer wishing that Laika had never died and was living happily in space. Emmy won the selection to represent Ireland at the contest.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Mollie Taylor |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crmkwpdm9kro|website=[[BBC]]|title=Disco dog party in the sky, EMMY's ready for lift-off
|date=May 10, 2025|access-date=October 27, 2025|archive-date=July 19, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250719235213/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crmkwpdm9kro|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notes==
<references group="note" />
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name="45YRSLATER">
{{cite web |url=http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0211/articles/021103a.htm |title=Message from the First Dog in Space Received 45 Years Too Late |publisher=Dogs in the News |date=3 November 2002|access-date=4 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060108184335/http://www.dogsinthenews.com/issues/0211/articles/021103a.htm |archive-date=8 January 2006 |url-status=dead |mode=cs2}}
</ref>

<ref name="AJL">
{{cite web |url=http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/Sputnik2/SpaceViews%20November%201997%20Articles.htm |title=Sputnik 2: The First Animal in Orbit |last=LePage |first=Andrew J. |date=1997 |access-date=26 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924112148/http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/Sputnik2/SpaceViews%20November%201997%20Articles.htm |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=live |mode=cs2 }}
</ref>

<ref name="APSTAT">{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna24069819 |title=Space dog monument opens in Russia |work=NBC News |date=11 April 2008 |access-date=15 April 2008 |first=Vladimir |last=Isachenkov |mode=cs2 |archive-date=29 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029160244/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/24069819 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="AZ">
{{cite web |url=http://www.space.com/news/laika_anniversary_991103.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060220234602/http://www.space.com/news/laika_anniversary_991103.html |archive-date=20 February 2006 |title=The True Story of Laika the Dog |first=Anatoly |last=Zak |website=[[Space.com]] |date=3 November 1999 |access-date=14 May 2023 |url-status=dead |mode=cs2 |quote=Recently, several Russian sources revealed that Laika survived in orbit for four days and then died when the cabin overheated.}}
</ref>

<ref name="BBC">
{{citation |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2367681.stm |title=First dog in space died within hours |publisher=BBC |first=David |last=Whitehouse |date=28 October 2002 |access-date=26 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905205457/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2367681.stm |archive-date=5 September 2015 |url-status=live }}
</ref>

<ref name="BBCold">
{{citation |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/3/newsid_3191000/3191083.stm |title=On this day |publisher=BBC |date=3 November 1957 |access-date=26 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008161445/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/3/newsid_3191000/3191083.stm |archive-date=8 October 2015 |url-status=live }}
</ref>

<ref name="Beischer1962">
{{citation |last1=Beischer |first1=DE |last2=Fregly |first2=AR |title=Animals and man in space. A chronology and annotated bibliography through the year 1960 |journal=US Naval School of Aviation Medicine |volume=ONR TR ACR-64 |issue=AD0272581 |date=1962 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/9288 |access-date=14 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811085105/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/9288 |archive-date=11 August 2015 |url-status=usurped }}
</ref>

<ref name="BL">
{{cite web |url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/frontpage/spacedog.html |title=Space Dog Lives |publisher=The British Library |access-date=26 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923232547/http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/frontpage/spacedog.html |archive-date=23 September 2015 |url-status=dead |mode=cs2 }}
</ref>

<ref name="DM">
{{citation |title=Abstract:Some Unknown Pages of the Living Organisms' First Orbital Flight |last=Malashenkov |first=D. C. |date=2002 |bibcode=2002iaf..confE.288M |page=288 |journal=IAF Abstracts}}
</ref>

<ref name="JAP">
{{citation |journal= Journal of Applied Physiology|title=Historical aspects of the early Soviet/Russian manned space program |volume=91 |issue=4 |pages=1501–1511 |first=John B. |last=West |date=1 October 2001 |pmid=11568130 |doi=10.1152/jappl.2001.91.4.1501 |s2cid=24284107 }}
</ref>

<ref name="KKD">
{{citation |journal=Kto, Kiedy, Dlaczego |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=330–331 |title=Astronautyka |first=Krzysztof |last=Boruń |date=December 1958}}
</ref>

<ref name="laika">{{citation|title=Muscovites Told Space Dog Is Dead|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=13 November 1957|page=3|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1957/11/13/archives/muscovites-told-space-dog-is-dead-audience-at-planetarium-sighs-at.html|url-access=subscription|last1=Frankel|first1=Max|access-date=3 November 2019|archive-date=3 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103064511/https://www.nytimes.com/1957/11/13/archives/muscovites-told-space-dog-is-dead-audience-at-planetarium-sighs-at.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="LM">{{cite web |url=http://www.novareinna.com/bridge/laika.html |title=Memorial to Laika |access-date=26 September 2006 |publisher=novareinna.com |mode=cs2 |archive-date=22 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622234643/http://www.novareinna.com/bridge/laika.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name="MA">
{{cite web |url=http://www.moscowanimals.org/laika/laika.html |title=The Story of Laika |access-date=26 September 2006 |publisher=moscowanimals.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060816092218/http://www.moscowanimals.org/laika/laika.html |archive-date=16 August 2006|url-status=dead |mode=cs2}}
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<ref name="NASA">
{{cite web|url=https://history.nasa.gov/animals.html |title=A Brief History of Animals in Space |publisher=NASA |first=Tara |last=Gray |date=1998 |access-date=26 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041011053912/https://history.nasa.gov/animals.html |archive-date=11 October 2004 |url-status=live |mode=cs2 }}
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<ref name="NASA3">
{{cite web|url=https://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/harford.html |title=Korolev's Triple Play: Sputniks 1, 2, and 3 |publisher=NASA |first=James J. |last=Harford |date=1997 |access-date=26 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010116002200/https://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/harford.html |archive-date=16 January 2001 |url-status=live |mode=cs2 }}
</ref>

<ref name="NLM">
{{cite web |url=https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/animals/laika.html |title=Animals as Cold Warriors: Missiles, Medicine and Man's Best Friend |publisher=National Library of Medicine |date=19 June 2006 |access-date=28 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006132551/https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/animals/laika.html |archive-date=6 October 2015 |url-status=live |mode=cs2 }}
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<ref name="NSMR">
{{cite web |url=https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/animals/images/laika7Big.jpg |title=Human Guinea Pigs and Sputnik 2 |publisher=National Society for Medical Research |date=November 1957 |access-date=28 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520210547/http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/animals/images/laika7Big.jpg |archive-date=20 May 2015 |url-status=live |mode=cs2 }}
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<ref name="redOrbit">
{{cite web |url=http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/115234/first_in_orbit_laika_the_dog_made_history/ |title=First in Orbit, Laika the Dog Made History |access-date=27 July 2009 |publisher=redOrbit |last=Savage |first=Sam |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924125050/http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/115234/first_in_orbit_laika_the_dog_made_history/ |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=live |mode=cs2 |date=31 December 2004 }}
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<ref name="RussiaOpensMonument">
{{citation |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-11-177105809_x.htm |title=Russia opens monument to space dog Laika |first=Vladimir |last=Isachenkov |newspaper=[[Associated Press]] |date=11 April 2008 |access-date=4 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926033452/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-11-177105809_x.htm |archive-date=26 September 2015 |url-status=live }}
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<ref name="russianspaceweb1">
{{cite web |url=http://www.russianspaceweb.com/sputnik2_preflight.html |title=Sputnik-2 |publisher=Russianspaceweb.com |last=Zak |first=Anatoly |access-date=23 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924121712/http://www.russianspaceweb.com/sputnik2_preflight.html |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=live |mode=cs2 }}
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<ref name="SPUT1">
{{cite web |url=http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/Sputnik2/sputnik2more.html |title=Sputnik-2, more news from distant history |first=Sven |last=Grahn |access-date=2 February 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924112150/http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/Sputnik2/sputnik2more.html |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=live |mode=cs2 }}
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<ref name="Sputnik2">{{cite web |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1957-002A |title=Sputnik 2 |publisher=National Space Science Data Center |access-date=3 November 2014 |mode=cs2 |archive-date=29 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529081812/https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1957-002A |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="STO">
{{cite web |url=http://www.spacetoday.org/Astronauts/Animals/Dogs.html |title=Dogs in space |publisher=Space Today Online |date=2004 |access-date=28 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017033511/http://www.spacetoday.org/Astronauts/Animals/Dogs.html |archive-date=17 October 2015 |url-status=live |mode=cs2 }}
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<ref name="Telstar">
{{cite web |url=http://telstarlogistics.typepad.com/telstarlogistics/2008/04/russia-remember.html |title=A New Monument for Laika, Russia's Heroic Space Dog |date=11 April 2008 |mode=cs2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016172327/http://telstarlogistics.typepad.com/telstarlogistics/2008/04/russia-remember.html |archive-date=16 October 2015 |url-status=live }}
</ref>
}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
*{{citation |title=Sputnik: The Shock of the Century |first=Paul |last=Dickson |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-8027-1804-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZhgFUyCOhHcC&pg=PA144 }}
*{{citation |title=Challenge to Apollo: The Soviet Union and the Space Race, 1945–1974 |first=Asif. A. |last=Siddiqi |author-link=Asif Azam Siddiqi |year=2000 |publisher=NASA}} SP-2000-4408. [https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4408pt1.pdf Part 1 (page 1-500)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916023444/https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4408pt1.pdf |date=16 September 2008 }}, [https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4408pt2.pdf Part 2 (page 501-1011)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714111614/https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4408pt2.pdf |date=14 July 2019 }}.
*{{Cite book |last=Chertok |first=Boris |author-link=Boris Chertok |title=Rockets and People  |date=2006 |isbn=9781470015084 |volume=II|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform }}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
*Angliss, Sarah and Uttley, Colin. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060614193101/http://spacedog.biz/gscfiles/gscgazscript.htm Science in the Dock: The man who trained the space dogs]. Retrieved 28 January 2005.
*Dubbs, Chris and [[Colin Burgess (author)|Burgess, Colin]]. ''Animals In Space: From Research Rockets to the Space Shuttle'', 2007.

==External links==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Laika.ogg|date=2011-11-19}}
*{{Commons-inline}}
*{{Wikiquote-inline}}
*[http://www.mentallandscape.com/S_Sputnik.htm History of Sputnik Missions]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060831060945/http://astronautix.com/craft/sputnik2.htm Sputnik 2 at Astronautix]

{{Russian space program}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1954 animal births]]
[[Category:1957 animal deaths]]
[[Category:1957 in spaceflight]]
[[Category:Sputnik]]
[[Category:Animals in space]]
[[Category:Individual dogs]]
[[Category:Deaths in space]]
[[Category:1957 in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Deaths from hyperthermia]]
[[Category:Dog training]]
[[Category:Animal testing in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Dogs in culture]]
[[Category:Dogs in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Celebrity animals]]