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Laika (Cyrillic: Лайка, "Barker") was one of the Russian space dogs and the first living passenger to enter orbit. She was launched into space on Sputnik 2, a Soviet spacecraft, on November 4, 1957. Like many other animals in space, she died during the mission, though earlier than intended.
She was found as a stray wandering the streets of Moscow, a female mongrel dog weighing approximately 6 kg (13 lb) and about 3 years old. "Laika" is in fact the Russian name for several breeds of dogs similar to the husky. Her name was changed from Kudryavka (Russian for "Little Curly"), and she was also nicknamed Zhuchka ("Little Bug") and Limonchik ("Lemon"). The American press dubbed her Muttnik (a portmanteau of mutt and Sputnik). Her true ancestry can never be known, although it is generally accepted that she was part husky or other Nordic breed, and possibly part terrier.
Laika died a few hours after launch from stress and overheating. Her true cause of death was not made public until years after the flight, with officials stating that she was either euthanized by poisoned food or died when the oxygen ran out. Russian officials have since expressed regret for allowing Laika to die.
Although Laika did not survive the trip, the experiment proved that a living passenger could survive being launched into orbit and endure weightlessness. It paved the way for human spaceflight, and provided scientists with some of the first data on how living organisms react to spaceflight environments.
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