Lack of fanfare and documentation made Albert an unsung hero of animal astronauts. On June 11, 1948, a V-2 Blossom launched into space from White Sands, New Mexico carrying Albert I, a rhesus monkey. American and Russian scientists utilized animals – mainly monkeys, chimps and dogs – in order to test each country’s ability to launch a living organism into space and bring it back alive and unharmed. Rhesus monkey Able of the Jupiter missile program-Redstone Arsenal Historical Information.įor several years, there had been a serious debate among scientists about the effects of prolonged weightlessness. This week Advocacy for Animals presents an article, written in 1998 by NASA historians, on Laika and the other animals-dogs, cats, monkeys, and even fish and snails-who had taken part in the space programs of various nations up to that date.īefore humans actually went into space, one of the prevailing theories of the perils of space flight was that humans might not be able to survive long periods of weightlessness. Laika’s story became an example to scientists and a spur to the more considerate and humane treatment of animals in astronautic and other scientific research. We did not learn enough from the mission to justify the death of the dog.” In 1998, Oleg Gazenko, who worked on the Soviet space program during the Sputnik era, said, “The more time passes, the more I’m sorry about it. Laika has long since become a legend in 1997 she was among those officially commemorated on a monument outside Moscow dedicated to fallen Soviet cosmonauts. It was not until 2002 that a former Soviet scientist revealed that the dog had probably died five to seven hours after launch, likely from panic and the overheating of the capsule. Little did people suspect what truly happened to Laika, however. It was said that her euthanization had been planned to take place 10 days after launch, to be accomplished by means of a poisoned serving of food. Although Laika had several days’ worth of provisions, and the plan was to monitor her vital signs while Sputnik 2 orbited Earth, it was assumed that she would die at some point during the trip, possibly when the craft’s life-support systems failed about a week later. Her sad fate soon became known, however in the rush and ambition of the Cold War, the Sputnik program had allowed no plan to be made for her safe return to Earth. Laika became a national hero to the Soviets and was admired by people around the world.
The presence of a living creature in Sputnik 2, especially one as familiar and beloved as a dog, captured the world’s imagination. Just a month earlier, the Soviets had surprised the world and ushered in the space age with the launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite.
Her name was Laika, and she was an even-tempered little mixed-breed dog about three years old-a former stray who was “recruited” for the Soviet Union’s space program and left the Earth in the Sputnik 2 craft. 3, 2007, marked the 50th anniversary of the flight of the first animal to be sent into Earth orbit.
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