Sputnik

SputnikJasmine CampbellScienceFebruary 28, 2011

I chose to do my search on:

Sputnik 2

Date of Launch:

November 3, 1957

Location of launch: Baikonur Cosmodrome

Crew Members:A female part-Samoyed terrier originally named Kudryavka (Little Curly) but later renamed Laika (Barker).

Purpose of the Mission:

For a Living organism( Laika ) to survive 10 days in space.

Outcome:Post-flight simulations showed that Laika probably overheated an died on the third or fourth orbit. As the author writes: "It was practically impossible to create a reliable system of a temperature control in such small term". There is no mention of any problem with the nose shroud that could have helped make the temperature control problem worse.

Previously, it has been thought that Laika survived four days in space and perhaps for a week when the transmitters (on shortwaves) of Sputnik-2 went silent. Actually, it seems that she survived for only 5-7 hours! But that was enough to prove that a living organism could tolerate a long time in weightlessness.

Interesting Facts:• Laika, like many earlier space dogs, was "recruited"

from the streets of Moscow. Named Kudryavka (Little Curly) by her trainers, she was officially renamed Laika (Barker) after her breed.

• Dogs of this breed were ideal for such flights due to their small size and even temperament. Strays from the Moscow streets were chosen since they were generally strong and could endure the hardships of hunger and extreme cold.

• In case Laika was not fit to make the flight, she had a backup named Albina. A third dog, named Muskha, was to serve as part of the ground test team but she was removed after she would not eat properly.

Resources:• http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/ • http://

www.aerospaceguide.net/satellite/sputnik.html• http://

filer.case.edu/sjr16/advanced/20th_soviet_sputnik.html

• http://www.zarya.info/Diaries/Sputnik/Sputnik2.php • http://

www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/Sputnik2/sputnik2more.html

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