November 3, 1957 - Laika, the first dog to fly to space

The story of one of the most special "astronauts" of humanity.

The story of Laika dog - the first dog to fly to space

After the success of Sputnik 1, Soviet leader Nikita Sergey Khrushchyov intended to launch another Sputnik ship on November 7, 1957 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution. A complex satellite was built, but it would not be ready until December 1957, the satellite later became Sputnik 3.

Sputnik 1.

The Soviet rocket engineer had intended to prepare a dog orbital flight before giving this person a long time; since 1951, they have nurtured and trained 12 dogs for short-term trajectory flight into space, this training gradually reached the goal for an orbital flight actually for dogs around 1958. For the purpose of responding to Nikita's request, Khrushchyov, the flight brought the trained dogs into orbit to be rushed to launch in November.

According to Russian sources, the official decision to launch and launch Sputnik 2 was set on October 10 or 12, making the design team of Sergei Korolev, the founder of the Soviet space program. write, only 4 weeks to design and build the ship, a difficult and urgent task. So Sputnik 2 was built very hastily, most of the spacecraft's elements were built based on rough sketches. Besides the main task of bringing people into space, Sputnik 2 also carries equipment to measure solar radiation and cosmic radiation.

The Sputnik 2 is equipped with a life support system that includes an oxygen generator and devices to avoid oxygen poisoning and CO2 absorption. A fan designed to operate whenever the cabin temperature exceeds 15 degrees Celsius, this fan is added to the vessel to keep the dog cool. The ship is also equipped with enough food (in paste form) to provide a seven-day flight in space, the dog is also equipped with a specialized bag for storing waste and waste.

Previously, for the purpose of bringing people to space, Soviet scientists had studied and after many deliberations, dogs were considered to be the most appropriate test subjects because they were able to exist similarly. like people. And immediately a dog "astronaut" team was secretly established. By design, Sputnik-2 has a total weight of 508.3kg, the ship's cockpit is fitted with sensors to measure the pressure and temperature around it, as well as astronauts' blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.

It is also a coincidence that Laika becomes an astronaut. After being captured by the wild animal collection team, it was unknown if Laika had the necessary qualities of an "astronaut" but the scientists chose it. And so, Laika, 3 years old, weighs 16 kg, suddenly becomes one of the three secret "astronauts" of the Soviet Union: Laika, Albina and Mushka.

Laika's real name is Kudryavka (Little Curly) . But because the name was a little difficult to read, Soviet scientists called Laika (Barker), because in the Soviet Union, the Eskimo breed is often referred to as Laika. To become a true astronaut, Laika and other "colleagues" had to undergo rigorous testing and training. In order to get used to living in the cramped cockpit of the Sputnik-2, these dogs were kept locked in cramped cages for about 15 to 20 days. They also have to get used to wearing special clothing as well as using canned foods in liquid form. To get used to the strong vibrations and the roar of jet engines, they must constantly train with centrifuges to simulate the acceleration of the boosters, as well as devices that simulate the gravitylessness. After each exercise, their heart rate doubled.

Photo of Laika before the launch in 1957.

At the end of the training course, Albina dogs were transferred to the living body endurance test unit in extreme acceleration conditions when the rocket launched; The Mushka dog was transferred to [the testing unit for spacecraft rescue and landing equipment. Laika alone is used to study the endurance of living organisms in zero gravity. And it was this task that helped Laika become the first living creature to fly into space. Immediately before the launch, Laika was thoroughly cleaned with alcohol-based solution, carefully groomed hair, and iodine was applied to the sites where sensors were attached to monitor body function and given. into the Sputnik-2 cockpit. All are ready.

On November 3, 1957, at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Sputnik 2 was launched into Earth orbit, carrying Laika . According to the signals obtained from sensors mounted on the body, during the launch, Laika's heart rate increased 3 times normal. After the ship reached its zero gravity state, Laika's heart rate began to decline again. On that very day, Moscow Radio broadcast the news that signals from Sputnik 2 showing the operation of scientific devices were still going on normally and that Laika was still alive. Six days later, the Earth completely lost contact with the Sputnik-2. The information provided by the Soviet Space Research Agency at the time indicated that Laika had lived up to the fourth day of the trip.

Shortly after the Sputnik 2 was launched, Soviet scientists had to admit that because the landing gear had not been completed, the Sputnik 2 was determined to carry out a suicide test flight, A go not back. Moreover, the amount of food and oxygen is only enough for Laika to use 10 days, while the mission of Sputnik-2 will last until April 1958. That means that Laika's fate has been decided from the beginning, it will die and be burned with the ship when returning to Earth's atmosphere. After 163 days of continuous flight of 2,570 rounds of Earth orbit at the nearest point of 225km and the farthest at 1,671 km with a speed of 28,968km / h, on April 14, 1958, Sputnik 2 carried Laika's body that was on fire. the road back to Earth, ending its pioneering mission excellently.

Reproduced version of Laika storage compartment on Sputnik 2 at a museum.

It was not until the end of October 2002, exactly 45 years after Laika was launched into space, at the World Aerospace Conference held in the United States, the truth about Laika's death was revealed. The report by Dr. Dimitri Malashenkov of the Moscow Institute for Biological Problems has helped stop decades of speculation about Laika's death. Accordingly, the sensors mounted on Laika people noted that immediately after the cockpit reached a speed of nearly 28,968 km / h, Laika's heart rate increased 3 times normal due to heat, fear and stress.On the cause of Laika's death, scientists at the Biological Research Institute agreed that Laika had died from a panic when Sputnik 2 was in zero gravity, and the problem was The air-conditioning system has caused the cockpit temperature to rise above the tolerance level of the living body.

Although there was no chance of survival, Laika's sacrifice was not wasteful because it helped prove one thing: a living creature could exist in a state of zero gravity. Laika's flight paved the way for the preparation of a manned launch not long after, as well as giving scientists the first data on how living organisms react in a dance environment. cylinder.

Laika statue.

On April 11, 2008, exactly 50 years after Laika's body was cremated in the atmosphere of the Earth, at the Military Medical Institute on Petrovsko - Razumovsky Boulevard in Moscow, where Laika practiced to prepare for experimentation in space, Russians erected a Laika memorial monument designed by sculptor Pavel Medvedev. The monument stands simulating a space rocket, the upper part of the engine simulates the human hand. The statue of Laika stood on it, in the palm of a human hand.