Sputnik 2 was the second spacecraft launched into earth’s orbit by the USSR. It was also the first spacecraft to carry a living animal, a small dog named Laika.
After the success and attention that the first satellite had brought, the teams that worked on it were on the move again to build Sputnik 2. Since this satellite was meant to carry a dog, there were certain changes and additions that had to be made to it. For one, a life preserving mechanism was needed. “The life-support system and the consumables were designed for a 7-day flight. Control of the internal atmosphere was provided by a carbon dioxide absorbing device, an oxygen generator, an oxygen regulator, and a fan that activated when the cabin temperature went above 15 deg C” (Encyclopedia Astronautica). Different ways of providing the dog food, as well as getting rid of her wastes, were also implemented. While she was in the satellite, she was strapped to a monitor that recorded her heart and respiration rate.
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| http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c9/Laika.jpg |
After the success and attention that the first satellite had brought, the teams that worked on it were on the move again to build Sputnik 2. Since this satellite was meant to carry a dog, there were certain changes and additions that had to be made to it. For one, a life preserving mechanism was needed. “The life-support system and the consumables were designed for a 7-day flight. Control of the internal atmosphere was provided by a carbon dioxide absorbing device, an oxygen generator, an oxygen regulator, and a fan that activated when the cabin temperature went above 15 deg C” (Encyclopedia Astronautica). Different ways of providing the dog food, as well as getting rid of her wastes, were also implemented. While she was in the satellite, she was strapped to a monitor that recorded her heart and respiration rate.
Overall, there were three dogs involved with the test. Laika ended up being the one cramped in the satellite cabin. After orbiting for about approximately two days, she died of because of thermal problems in the cabin. This had come as unexpected, even though Laika was planned to die anyways as she was given about 10 days worth of oxygen.
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