11/03/2026
69 years ago, on this day, in 1957, a stray dog from Moscow named Laika became the first living creature to orbit the Earth.
Aboard Sputnik 2, she gave the Soviet Union another big win in the Space Race, but there was no re-entry capsule, so she was never meant to come home.
Officially, she lived for about a week before being euthanized. Decades later, it emerged that she died within hours of reaching orbit, as the cabin overheated.
Her flight helped pave the way for human spaceflight, but it also remains one of the saddest chapters of the Space Race. Today, we remember her. 🚀 🐶
