Her Impact
“We did not learn enough from this mission to justify the death of the dog.”
What She Taught Us
Laika’s sacrifice helped scientists gather important information on how orbital space travel affects living organisms, but was it worth it?
The mission was an important advancement in the science of space travel, no doubt, and under different circumstances could have been a hugely positive event. Unfortunately, due to political pressure, this mission was rushed and was forced to proceed before the appropriate technology was developed. Had they waited, Laika could have returned to Earth safely.
Laika’s story taught us that no scientific advancement justifies the intentional loss of an innocent life.
The mission created an uproar and sparked a debate across the world on the ethics of animal testing and brought to light the abuse of animals in scientific endeavors.
After Laika, all future space missions carrying dogs would be designed to bring them back home as safely as possible. Although tragic that it took her sacrifice, thanks to Laika, many dogs and other animals in space research were treated far better and had much happier endings.
