Laika: the stray dog who became the first animal in orbit

On November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2 with Laika, a small stray from the streets of Moscow, on board. The capsule was never designed to come back, and Laika survived only a few hours. Her flight showed that a living being could reach orbit, and less than four years later Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.

Should animals have been part of the early space race?

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