Sputnik 2
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Sputnik 2 was a Soviet spacecraft that launched in 1957 and carried a dog named Laika into orbit around Earth. It demonstrated that living creatures could survive the journey to space, marking an important step in the early space race between the Soviet Union and the United States.
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Sputnik 2 ( Russian pronunciation: [ˈsputnʲɪk], Russian: Спутник-2, Satellite 2), or Prosteyshiy Sputnik 2 (PS-2, Russian: Простейший Спутник 2, Simplest Satellite 2), launched on 3 November 1957, was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, and the first to carry an animal into orbit, a Soviet space dog named Laika.
Launched by the Soviet Union on second and final flight of the Sputnik PS (derived from the R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile), Sputnik 2 was a 4-metre-high (13 ft) cone-shaped capsule with a base diameter of 2 metres (6.6 ft) that weighed around 500 kilograms (1,100 lb), though it was not designed to separate from the rocket core that brought it to orbit, bringing the total mass in orbit to 7.79 tonnes (17,200 lb). It contained several compartments for radio transmitters, a telemetry system, a programming unit, a regeneration and temperature-control system for the cabin, and scientific instruments. A separate sealed cabin contained the dog Laika.