First Animal in Space
One of America’s goals in the 1950s was to beat the U.S.S.R. in space. But the Soviets were already ahead. Sputnik was the first satellite launched into space and on November 3, 1957, they sent the first animal into orbit. Laika, a stray Husky-mix, was sent to space aboard Sputnik 2. The small satellite wasn’t made for re-entry and Laika would not return home. Her trip, however, paved the way for other animals in space.
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