The first animal to make an orbital spaceflight around the Earth was the dog Laika. She was launched aboard the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957.
While Laika holds the distinction of being the first living creature to orbit our planet, the broader definition of "in space" can also include animals that traveled on sub-orbital flights, reaching space but not completing an orbit around Earth.
Laika: The Pioneer of Orbital Spaceflight
Laika, a stray Moscow dog, became a global sensation when she embarked on her historic mission. Her journey marked a significant milestone in space exploration, demonstrating that a living organism could survive the harsh conditions of launch and microgravity. The Sputnik 2 mission was a critical precursor to human spaceflight, providing invaluable data on the physiological effects of space travel. Tragically, Laika perished during the mission due to overheating, as the technology to return a spacecraft from orbit was not yet developed.
Earlier Journeys: Sub-orbital Animal Spaceflights
Before Laika's orbital mission, several animals had already journeyed into space on sub-orbital flights, pushing the boundaries of what was known about space environments. These early missions, primarily conducted by the United States, used high-altitude rockets to send animals just beyond the Kármán line (the internationally recognized boundary of space at 100 kilometers or 62 miles above sea level).
Key early animal spaceflights include:
- Fruit Flies (1947): The very first animals intentionally sent into space were fruit flies aboard a U.S. V-2 rocket. Their mission was to study the effects of radiation at high altitudes.
- Monkeys (1949 onwards): The U.S. began sending monkeys into space, primarily rhesus monkeys and cynomolgus monkeys. The most famous among them was Albert II, a rhesus monkey who, on June 14, 1949, became the first monkey and the first mammal in space, although his flight was sub-orbital. He reached an altitude of 134 km (83 miles). Subsequent monkey missions also provided crucial data for human spaceflight.
A Timeline of Early Animal Space Pioneers
Understanding the progression of animal spaceflight highlights the different "firsts" achieved in the early days of the space race:
Animal Type | Name (if applicable) | Mission Type | Date | Country/Program | Purpose |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fruit Flies | - | Sub-orbital | 1947 | USA | Study radiation effects |
Rhesus Monkey | Albert II | Sub-orbital | 1949 | USA | Test survival in space |
Dog | Laika | Orbital | 1957 | Soviet Union | Test survival in orbit |
These animal pioneers paved the way for human exploration, enduring risks to provide scientists with vital information about the effects of space travel on living beings. Their contributions were fundamental in advancing our understanding and capabilities for future crewed missions.