Sputnik 2

A big machine went into space.

It was called Sputnik 2. A dog named Laika went inside. She was the first animal to fly in orbit.

This helped people learn about the sun. The machine also sent back data about space. It sent news from far above the air. This was a huge success for the Soviet Union. It showed that we could send more than just small balls into space.

Sputnik 2 was a special spacecraft. It launched on November 3, 1957. It was the second machine to orbit Earth.

This mission was the first to carry an animal into space. A dog named Laika flew inside a small cabin.

Laika was a part-Samoyed dog. Scientists used wires to watch her heart and breathing. They also used a camera to see her.

Sputnik 2 helped scientists learn many new things. The Earth's air blocks some light from the sun. This machine carried tools to study those rays. These tools are called spectrophotometers. They measured X-rays and ultraviolet rays from the sun. The craft also carried a cosmic ray detector. This tool found more particles high up in space.

Laika died during the flight. A scientist said the cabin got too hot. This happened because the temperature control system failed. The craft stayed in orbit for 162 days. It circled the Earth 2,370 times. Finally, it burned up in the air on April 14, 1958.

This image shows how the air blocks light.

Sputnik 2 was a very important spacecraft launched by the Soviet Union. It went into orbit on November 3, 1957. This mission was a huge step for science and space travel. It was the first time a living animal went into orbit around the Earth.

The mission helped people learn about the space around our planet. It also showed that humans could send much heavier things into space. This event was a major part of the Space Race between nations.

The spacecraft was a cone-shaped capsule that carried many different parts. It had radio transmitters to send signals back to Earth. It also had a special cabin for a dog named Laika.

Inside the cabin, there was food and water in a soft, gel form. An air system provided oxygen to keep the cabin safe. Scientists used a television camera to watch Laika during the flight. They also used wires to check her pulse and breathing.

Building Sputnik 2 was a very fast job for the engineers. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev wanted it ready by early November. This was only three weeks after the first Sputnik launched. Because time was short, the team had to work very quickly.

They used a container meant for other missions to hold Laika. The engineers at OKB-1 had to scramble to put everything together. They chose Laika because she had a very even and calm temperament.

Sputnik 2 carried important tools to study the sun and space. One tool was a spectrophotometer, which measures different kinds of light.

The Earth's air blocks some rays from the sun, like X-rays. By being in space, the satellite could see these rays clearly. It also carried a cosmic ray detector to find tiny particles. This detector found many more particles high up in the sky. The spacecraft stayed in orbit for 162 days and circled the Earth 2,370 times.

This mission changed how people thought about space and animals. Many people around the world had big debates about using animals for science. Some groups even held silent moments to remember Laika.

The mission also showed that the Soviet Union had very strong rockets. This made leaders in the United States very concerned about space. Sputnik 2 eventually reentered the atmosphere on April 14, 1958. It burned up as it fell back toward the Earth.

Sputnik 2 was a landmark Soviet spacecraft launched on November 3, 1957. It was the second artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. More importantly, it was the first spacecraft to carry a living animal into orbit. This mission used a dog named Laika to help scientists understand how living beings react to space.

The mission was a major success for the Soviet Union during the Space Race. It proved that heavy payloads could be lifted into orbit. It also allowed for the long-term collection of scientific data from above the atmosphere.

The spacecraft was a cone-shaped capsule with a base diameter of 1.0 meter. It weighed approximately 500 kilograms on its own. However, it was not designed to separate from its rocket core, the Blok A. This meant the total mass in orbit was about 1,035 kilograms. The satellite contained several complex systems to function in space. These included radio transmitters and a telemetry system to send data home. It also had a programming unit and a system to control temperature and air.

A separate, sealed cabin was built specifically to house the passenger.

Inside the pressurized cabin, Laika was prepared for the journey. She was a part-Samoyed terrier weighing about 3.5 kilograms. Because the mission was planned so quickly, she could not undergo special training. Instead, engineers chose her from dogs already trained for suborbital flights. She was selected because of her even temperament. To monitor her health, scientists attached telemetry wires to her body. These wires tracked her pulse, respiration frequency, and blood pressure.

The cabin was padded and included food and water in a gelatinized form. A television camera also recorded her movements at 10 frames per second.

The history of Sputnik 2 is a story of intense pressure and speed. Originally, Soviet engineers planned a much larger satellite called "Object D." This advanced craft was meant to be much heavier and more scientific. However, the government wanted to launch something before the United States could. Sergei Korolev, the head of OKB-1, proposed a simpler design called the "Primitive Satellite" or PS. After Sputnik 1 launched in October 1957, leader Nikita Khrushchev demanded a second launch. He wanted it ready for the 40th anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution. This gave the engineers only three weeks to build the new mission.

Sputnik 2 was also a vital platform for solar and cosmic research. The Earth's atmosphere blocks certain types of light from the Sun. For example, X-rays and ultraviolet rays cannot be studied easily from the ground.

To solve this, the satellite carried two spectrophotometers. These instruments, provided by Professor Sergei Mandelstam, measured solar X-rays and ultraviolet rays. The spacecraft also carried a cosmic ray detector built by a team from Moscow University. This detector used Geiger counters to find high-energy charged particles. During its flight, the detector found that particle flux increased with altitude.

Life on the spacecraft was extremely stressful for the living passenger. During the early acceleration of the launch, Laika's heart rate jumped from 103 to 240 beats per minute. Her breathing also increased significantly. While she initially appeared agitated, telemetry showed she was eating her food. However, the mission faced a major engineering problem with temperature control. Because the satellite did not separate from the Blok A, heat built up quickly. A scientist named Dimitri Malashenkov later revealed that the cabin eventually overheated. It is believed Laika died from this heat on the fourth day of the mission.

The mission had a massive geopolitical and social impact. The successful launch showed that Soviet missiles were very powerful. This caused great concern in the United States and led to debates about space technology. At the same time, the mission sparked a global debate about animal testing. Many groups protested the use of animals to advance scientific goals.

After circling the Earth 2,370 times over 162 days, the spacecraft finally reentered the atmosphere. On April 14, 1958, it burned up while falling over the north Atlantic Ocean.