The Voyage
"After placing Laika in the container and before closing the hatch, we kissed her nose and wished her bon voyage, knowing that she would not survive the flight."
— a Soviet technician who prepared Laika’s capsule before lift-off
November 3, 1957: Sputnik 2 was launched into orbit carrying little Laika. The technology to re-enter the atmosphere had not yet been developed – Laika was never intended to survive.
As Sputnik 2 accelerated into orbit, Laika’s heart rate soared. Upon reaching orbit, Sputnik 2’s “Block A” core did not separate correctly, which prevented the thermal control system from operating correctly. Additionally, some of the thermal insulation of the craft tore loose, which raised the cabin temperature to 104 °F (40 °C).
It took three hours for Laika’s heart rate to return to normal, three times longer than it took on ground tests, clearly indicating the stress she was under.
Seven hours into the flight, no further signs of life were received from the spacecraft.
Laika had passed away by her fourth orbit around the Earth due to overheating.
Sputnik 2 would continue to orbit the Earth for over five months before disintegrating during re-entry on April 14, 1958, Laika’s remains burning up along with it.
