LAIKA

April 12, 2019 12:52 PM

On November 3rd 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2 into Space. On board the satellite was the first Earthling to go into orbit. (SLV).
posted by bouvin (26 comments total)

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posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 1:19 PM on April 12, 2019

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posted by stolyarova at 1:22 PM on April 12, 2019

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posted by A Bad Catholic at 1:27 PM on April 12, 2019

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posted by rhamphorhynchus at 1:32 PM on April 12, 2019

comrade laika rocket dog
comrade laika rolling stone
posted by BungaDunga at 1:32 PM on April 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

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posted by lord_wolf at 1:33 PM on April 12, 2019

If only.
She most likely wasn't the first living Earthling in orbit.

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posted by farlukar at 1:47 PM on April 12, 2019

"The more time passes, the more I'm sorry about it. We shouldn't have done it ... We did not learn enough from this mission to justify the death of the dog."

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posted by Flannery Culp at 1:53 PM on April 12, 2019 [7 favorites]

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posted by mikelieman at 2:39 PM on April 12, 2019

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posted by tzikeh at 2:55 PM on April 12, 2019

She most likely wasn't the first living Earthling in orbit.

What do you mean? I tried googling this but don't really understand the implication. Laika wasn't alive? Laika didn't go to orbit? Something else was first?
posted by Literaryhero at 4:25 PM on April 12, 2019 [3 favorites]

[that painting/drawing of Gagarin holding Laika that makes me weebly]
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 4:26 PM on April 12, 2019

@Literaryhero

I think that farlukar means that there were likely some microbes that were taken up to space by previous rockets.
posted by coolname at 5:29 PM on April 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

🚀 🐕
posted by clavdivs at 6:10 PM on April 12, 2019

There are stories I can’t take.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 6:29 PM on April 12, 2019 [4 favorites]

There is a great book about Soviet Space Dogs that I really liked a lot. While the US preferred shooting monkeys into space, the Soviets created spacegoing doggos. (And a turtle, if memory serves)

Good dog, Laika

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posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 7:10 PM on April 12, 2019

“My dog is an astronaut, though”
posted by D.C. at 7:27 PM on April 12, 2019

Constantly thinking about you
posted by MillMan at 7:59 PM on April 12, 2019

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sweet.
posted by james33 at 4:39 AM on April 13, 2019

o7
posted by Pyrogenesis at 4:56 AM on April 13, 2019

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posted by daybeforetheday at 4:58 AM on April 13, 2019

ok
posted by Kraimod at 6:44 AM on April 13, 2019

The graphic novel Laika is really good, e.g.

And, obligatory Achewood, "If you think about it even medium hard, launching a scared little dog into space with no intention of getting it back is a seriously fucked up thing to do."
posted by Rumple at 11:36 AM on April 13, 2019 [4 favorites]

Also, the first organisms deliberately fired into space were some fruit flies. The second was a cob of corn.
posted by Rumple at 11:37 AM on April 13, 2019

Sometimes I can't decide whether we don't deserve dogs or dogs don't deserve us. Poor Laika. 💔
posted by Space Kitty at 12:21 PM on April 13, 2019 [2 favorites]

There are so many humans who have done despicable, cruel things and yet I would never, never advocate sending any of them into space to die alone and afraid in the name of science. So the thought that we (I mean, we as a species) did this to, as someone said above, a scared little dog...I can hardly bear it. What is wrong with us?

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posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 4:29 PM on April 13, 2019 [4 favorites]