The first dog in space
Laika orbited Earth in 1957
Witness History · BBC World Service
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Show Notes
Laika the Russian stray was the first dog to orbit the Earth. She was sent into space on a flight in 1957 which had been timed to mark the anniversary of the Russian Revolution. She died after orbiting Earth four times.
Professor Victor Yazdovsky's father was in charge of the dogs in the Russian space programme.
In 2017, Professor Yazdovsky spoke to Olga Smirnova about playing with Laika, before her flight, when he was just nine-years-old.
(Photo: Laika. Credit: Getty Images.)