Laika’s dream
Laika poses in a training capsule.
A month after Sputnik went up in 1957, the Soviets launched a another satellite, Sputnik 2, with a very famous passenger: Laika, a mutt from the streets of Moscow.
She never made it home.
The writer John Haskell has this tribute, part fact and part fiction, to the canine cosmonaut. A version of this story appears in his book, “I Am Not Jackson Pollock.”
(Originally aired October 5, 2007)
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us raise $67,000 by the end of the year and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer to our goal!