Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Laika flew on Sputnik 2 in 1957 in a capsule that could not return. The figure is taken from NASA History, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a animals fact?

Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

A dog became the first animal to orbit Earth

Laika flew on Sputnik 2 in 1957 in a capsule that could not return The mission proved a living creature could survive launch and orbit. Laika died within hours from heat and stress, information the Soviet authorities released only later. Other dogs, monkeys and apes flew before human spaceflight. It sits in Mondo's animals collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

NASA History

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

Go further

Space & Astronomy trivia

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Dogs were the first domesticated animalBones and burials from over 15,000 years ago show the partnership had begun A dog has around 300 million scent receptorsHumans carry closer to six million, and dogs dedicate far more brain to smell Dogs are trained to detect medical conditionsSome warn owners of changes in blood sugar by scent Pigeons can find home from over 1,000 kilometresThey use the Sun, magnetic cues and familiar landmarks together Animals have been used in warfare for millenniaHorses, camels, elephants and carrier pigeons all shaped campaigns Zoos breed corals for reef restorationFragments grown in tanks are planted back onto damaged reefs

Tags: dogs, spaceflight, history

A dog became the first animal to orbit Earth: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Laika flew on Sputnik 2 in 1957 in a capsule that could not return. The figure is taken from NASA History, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a animals fact?: Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.