Sputnik 2 Is Launched
Sputnik 2 marks a significant milestone in the history of space exploration, following the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. Launched on November 3, 1957, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Sputnik 2 was propelled into orbit by a modified SS-6 Sapwood rocket. This spacecraft weighed over half a ton and was notable for carrying the first living creature into space—a small dog named Laika, who weighed approximately 13 pounds. Sputnik 2 measured about 12 feet in length and 6 feet in width, and it was designed to transmit biological and scientific data back to Earth. Unfortunately, Laika did not survive the mission, passing away a few days after the launch. The spacecraft itself remained in orbit for 162 days before re-entering the Earth's atmosphere and falling to the ground on April 14, 1958. This mission represented a critical step in understanding the effects of space travel on living organisms and paved the way for future human spaceflight endeavors.
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Sputnik 2 Is Launched
Sputnik 2 Is Launched
Shortly after the first artificial satellite known as Sputnik was launched on October 4, 1957, by the Soviet Union, the Soviets sent Sputnik 2 aloft. It was launched on November 3, 1957, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome space facility aboard a modified SS-6 Sapwood rocket. Sputnik 2 weighed just over half a ton and included the first test animal launched into space, a small dog named Laika who weighed about 13 pounds. The spacecraft itself was roughly 12 feet long by six feet wide. It transmitted a variety of biological data and other scientific information to the ground controllers, although Laika died after only a few days. Sputnik 2 lasted for 162 days in orbit and fell to Earth on April 14, 1958.