History
Could a living being endure launch, weightlessness and orbit? After Sputnik 1 opened the Space Age in October 1957, the Soviet Union sought a rapid follow-up that would demonstrate more than engineering skill. On 3 November 1957, it launched Sputnik 2, carrying Laika, a small stray dog from Moscow.
Why
Laika was not the first animal sent towards space—earlier suborbital flights had carried animals—but she became the first animal to orbit Earth. Sputnik 2 carried instruments to monitor her biological responses, providing early data on how a living organism coped with the space environment.
The mission was prepared under intense Cold War pressure. There was no technology or plan to bring Laika back alive. Later disclosures showed that she died within hours of launch, after the cabin overheated; earlier Soviet accounts had suggested she survived longer.
Significance
Sputnik 2 showed that biological research could be conducted in orbit, a necessary step towards human spaceflight. It also exposed the ethical cost of racing for prestige: scientific knowledge was gained, but a sentient animal was sent on a mission designed without a safe return.
The episode continues to shape debates on animal experimentation, informed consent in research, and the responsibilities of institutions pursuing technological breakthroughs. Modern space biology relies on stricter ethical review, welfare standards and alternatives where possible—norms absent from the 1957 mission.
UPSC relevance
The story connects space technology, Cold War competition, biological research, animal welfare and research ethics. It illustrates that scientific capability and ethical responsibility must be assessed separately, even when they arise in the same experiment.
What questions can be expected?
Prelims: With reference to Sputnik 2, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Mains: Discuss the ethical dilemmas that arise when scientific advancement involves experimentation on living organisms.
Key Words: Sputnik 2, Laika, orbital flight, suborbital flight, Space Race, biological experimentation, animal ethics, research responsibility.
THE TRIBUNE, India’s oldest, daily English-language newspaper, was first published on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan), and save for 40 days in the immediate aftermath of Partition, has come out every day over the last 145 years. THE TRIBUNE was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist of the time. The newspaper is run by a five-member Trust, which is chaired by Shri N N Vohra, former Governor of J&K State (2008-2018); as well as Justice S S Sodhi, former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court; Shri Gurbachan Jagat, former Governor of Manipur; Lt Gen. Shamsher Singh Mehta, former Western Army Commander; Shri Paramjit Singh Patwalia, Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court.
THE TRIBUNE is free, objective, and independent. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language, are the hallmarks of the paper.
The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).
Remembering Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia
