History Photographed on Instagram: "On November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, carrying the dog Laika, the first living creature to orbit Earth. ⁠ ⁠ Selected as a stray for the mission, Laika was a three-year-old part-Samoyed terrier.⁠ ⁠ Telemetry data indicated that Laika survived for several hours in orbit, ultimately succumbing to overheating due to a thermal control system failure.⁠ ⁠ Her flight provided critical data on the viability of life in space, directly contributing to