In 1957, Laika was the first living creature to reach space
Humans have always been curious about what's in space. After all, there's so much more to learn about the world outside of Earth, which could help mankind advance to greater heights.
Therefore, space travel became a priority for humanity, and it all started with Laika, a husky-spitz stray dog from the streets of Moscow.
Female dogs are more docile and smaller, so Russian scientists selected several female dogs for the mission. Among many, Laika passed multiple tests and was announced as Sputnik II's dog.
To monitor Laika's reaction, doctors operated on her and equipped Laika with various sensors. Three days before the liftoff, Laika was put in a constricted space so she could not move.
This was done to Laika because Sputnik II's payload capacity was small, which meant there was little to no space for Laika to move inside.
The speechless animal had a terrible flight experience – her heartbeat was triple the standard rate, and her breath rate quadrupled. There isn't enough transparency about Laika's passing away, but before the mission, scientists claimed that Laika would survive for seven days.
However, many scientists claimed that she passed away moments after the take-off. The Sputnik, though, continued to orbit without its living passenger for five months.
Laika's sacrifice teaches us that humans have always harmed animals without remorse for technological advancement or to produce various products. The dog gave her life, but involuntarily, and in the early 21st century, animal rights weren't a concern.
