51 years ago today Russia launched Sputnik II, with a very special ‘pilot’. Laika was the first mammal to ever orbit our planet. Sadly, she passed away upon re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere in 1958. Cruelty or Hero? There isn’t a wrong opinion. This was 1958, a different way of life, a different set of values.
What’s important is now, in 2008 we remember Laika. This flight changed the world and paved the way to a new age of exploration and discovery thanks to a special four-legged hero.