Day 7 of our 24 dogs of Christmas must be one of the saddest dog stories of history. Astronaut Laika, a dog that was the first living creature to be launched into Earth orbit, on board the Soviet artificial satellite Sputnik Nov. 3, in 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first-ever living animal into orbit: a dog named Laika. The flight was meant to test the safety of space travel for humans, but it was a guaranteed suicide mission for the dog since technology hadn’t advanced as far as the retur

68 years ago, the Soviet Union sent Laika, a stray dog from Moscow, into space aboard Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. She was chosen for her calm nature and ability to handle harsh conditions, making her the first living being to orbit Earth. Sadly, Laika d_!€d just hours after launch due to overheating and stress, but her mission paved the way for future human space travel. | NeuroNexa