THE FIRST SATELLITES

One month later, on November 3, 1957 the Soviets launched and orbited Sputnik 2. The 1120-pound payload container carried the dog, Laika (the Great Barker) and instrumentation to telemeter her conditions in weightlessness. It also had instruments to measure the radiation environment of space.

Sputnik 2 was not designed for recovery. Laika eventually died in orbit.

laika
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Florida Space Research Institute ©2002