Page 76 - (DK) Danger! Open with Extreme Caution!

LAIKA WAS ONE OF MANY DOGS TAKEN AT A MOSCOW RESEARCH CENTer,
OfF THE STReETS OF MOSCOW BY THE TRAINING BEGAN. THE DOGS
SOVIET SCIENTISTS IN THE 1950s. WERE TAUGHT TO SIT STIlL FOR
LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND TO
WEAR HELMETS AND SPACE SUITS.
Go on, her bark’s
worse than her bite…
Come on,
LitTle Bug, put on
the nice helmet.
Easy for
you to say!

Females were chosen for their calm
nature and because males lift their That’s one
legs to peE—imposSible in a space suit! way to make
a hot dog…
BY SENDING DOGS INTO SPACE, I’m bored. Can’t
THEY HOPED TO FIND OUT HOW you throw a stick
ZERO GRAVITY AND RADIATION or something?
woOf WOULD AfFECT HUMAN ASTRONAUTS.

SIMULATORS GOT THE DOGS A CENTRIFUGE RECREATED ON NOVEMBER 3, 1957, WHEN SPUTNIK 2 SAFELY MADE
USED TO THE ROAR AND THE INCREDIBLE G FORCES sputnik 2 launched IT INTO SPACE, LAIKA BECAME
VIBRATION OF A ROCKET LAUNCH. AT BLASTOfF. LAIKA INTO SPACE. A “MUtTNIK,” THE FIRST DOG
INSIDE THE CAPSULE TO MAKE IT INTO ORBIT
SHE WAS STRApPED INTO AROUND EARTH.
Much more OKay, let’s take you A HARNEsS. SHE COULD
of this for a spin. CHANGE POSITION BUT
and I’lL be NOT TURN AROUND.
a slush pupPy. not a bad
view from …but nothing
up here… to wag your
tail at.
You don’t
have to be I’ve always
barking wanted to
crazy to go up in
go into the
the world…
space, but
it helps…

Is there
a paws butTon
on this thing?

ALAS, THE SCIENTISTS SENT LAIKA FIVE MONTHS LATER, ON APRIL 14, 1958, THE LEGEND OF LAIKA LIVES
INTO SPACE KNOWING that SHE SPUTNIK 2 FElL BACK TO EARTH AND ON. Laika’s brief trip inside
wouldn’t return. DISINTEGRATED DURING ReENTRY, the presSurized capsule proved
CREMATING PoOR LAIKA’S REMAINS. that a mamMal could withstand
DogGone! liftofF and life in space. This
helped pave the way for future
manNed misSions.

She sure was Yes, outTa
a star dog. this world.

SHE DIED FROM OVERHEATING AND
STREsS BETWeEN FIVE AND SEVEN
HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT, AS THE Brave Laika However, the Laika experiment
U.S.S.R. WAS UNABLE AT THE TIME TO has also provoked much debate
PRODUCE A SPACE CAPSULE WITH comes home about using animals in scientific
A NEAR-CONSTANT TEMPERATURE. testing programs.
76 The End
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