Sixty years ago, on November 3, 1957, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics placed a little dog named Laika into space orbit. An authentic pioneer, she traveled in true Star Trek fashion where no sentient being had gone before (the Soviets had sent other animals into space, but Laika was the first to achieve full orbital status). The accomplishment, while impressive, came at a very high cost, one that was almost certainly not worth paying. Nonetheless, it taught us some valuable lessons, both about space and our fellow creatures.
Space research exploded following the end of WWII, and by the early 1950s, there was talk of one day putting a man on the moon. However, researchers first needed a better grasp of just how well a human might fare in space.
via Whisker Therapy