The dog Laika, the first living being to orbit the Earth, lives on in our memories along with her lethal Sputnik 2 mission, on which she was an unwitting pioneer in the USSR's space program more than 57 years ago. Her story is central to Lasse Hallström's 1985 movie, "My Life as a Dog," and the 2005 Arcade Fire song, "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)." She's had bands named after her, monuments erected to
![That Time Soviet Russia Sent Dogs Into Space](https://cdn-ak-scissors.b.st-hatena.com/image/square/1c4ceb14dd6d9eb71ec6887c41f2277f9543be78/height=288;version=1;width=512/https%3A%2F%2Fi.kinja-img.com%2Fimage%2Fupload%2Fc_fill%2Ch_200%2Cq_80%2Cw_200%2F743983ef40322777a7049971bf4faeae.png)