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Laika the space dog

Laika the space dog

S620/0026 Rights Managed

This image is part of the feature 50 Years Of Sputnik 1
This image is part of the feature Animal Astronauts

Credit: RIA NOVOSTI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Caption: First animal in space. Model of Laika, the bitch who became the first animal in space, inside a mock-up of Soviet Sputnik 2 spacecraft. Sputnik 2 was launched on 3 November 1957. Laika (meaning "Husky" or "Barker") was contained within a sealed cabin with a food store and an air conditioner. Soviet propaganda at the time maintained that she survived for about a week, but in fact she died after just a few hours due to overheating and panic. The spacecraft was not designed to be recovered and it burnt up as it re- entered the atmosphere on 14 April 1958, 162 days after its launch.

Release details: Model release not required. Property release not required.

Keywords: 3 november 1957, 3rd, animal experiment, cis, dog, flight, laika, manned spaceflight, mock-up, program, programme, propaganda, russian, soviet, space, space animal, space dog, space experiment, sputnik 2

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