More Soviet Successes

Sputnik 1 was crude by modern stan­dards, but the Soviets launched the much larger Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. Inside that spacecraft was the first animal to orbit Earth, a dog named Laika. Sputnik 2 was not designed to reenter the atmosphere and land, so Laika died in space.

By the end of 1957 the Soviet Union was clearly the winner of the first lap of the space race. Sputnik was a political triumph, trumpeted by the Soviet Union and its supporters as a brilliant example of Communist achievement.

SPUTNIK REPLICAS

A model of Sputnik 1 was presented to the United Nations and is on dis­play at its building in New York City. There is also a replica at the National Aerospace Museum in Washington,

D. C. In 1997, to mark the fortieth anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 1, a scale model of the satellite – made by students at one-third of the original size-was launched from the Mir space station.

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Altogether there were ten Sputnik missions. Sputnik 3 (May 1958) was the Soviets’ original large science satellite. On August 19, 1960, Sputnik 5 carried into orbit two dogs (named Belka and Strelka), forty mice, two rats, and an assortment of plants. The following day, the spacecraft landed successfully with its animal and plant passengers alive and well. Sputnik 10 was the last Sputnik, in March 1961, and it also carried a dog, Zvezdochka. This final mission was flown in preparation for the first manned spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin in April 1961.

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SEE ALSO:

• Gagarin, Yuri • NASA • Satellite

• Space Race

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