Russian Space Bitch Recognised on Earth
Published on April 15, 2008 by Freelance Contributors · 3 CommentsLaika, a run of the mill, non exceptional stray dog did something out of this world 50 years ago. She became the first earthling to fly into space.
Now the Russian space ace is being recognised as academics lay flowers at the monument to the groundbreaking canine.
The monument is part of the celebrations for Cosmonauts day in Russia.
Laika made her space journey on November 3, 1957 and subsequently set in motion a chain of events that lead to man gaining the knowledge that a living mammal could be blasted into space and survive the atmospheric climate.
Sadly Laika died making her earth shattering journey – despite being trained and conditioned for nearly a year prior to the monumental trip.
Vladimir Ponomarenko, boss of the space and aviation academy stated:
“the dog is a friend of humans and is easy to train.”
One thing’s for sure, in the history and progression of mankind, dogs have been a constant source of inspiration and loyalty. We salute you Laika.
USEFUL LINKS
Learn More About Laika at Wikipedia
Highly Recommended: This could be the most important link you EVER click as far as your dog’s life is concerned – see why….!
“Before being taken to the launch pad, one of the scientists took Laika home to play with his children. In a book chronicling the story of Soviet space medicine, Dr. Vladimir Yazdovsky wrote, “I wanted to do something nice for her: She had so little time left to live.”"
Sadly she was never meant to survive the flight.
I remember the Headlines at the time, but her fate was glossed over.
Stray dogs very often share the fate of mankind and human society.
I was once told that other Russian dogs shared the fate of hundreds of thousands of people at the seige of Stalingrad. To oppose an overwhelming force the stray dogs were trained to sleep, eat and feel comfortable, under tanks and armoured vehicles and then sent over to sleep under them in the German lines – with magnetic mines attached to their backs.
Our attitudes to animals appear to be formed by the times we live in; the space race; war; what about plenty, how do we share that?
Well there are plenty of spoiled dogs and dogs as obese as their inactive owners; and its hardly surprising in a throwaway society that dogs are thrown out with every lifestyle change their owners make; and in a materialistic and commercial society that there is always soembody ready to provide more replacements (and an unwanted surplus).
What happens to the animals is often the fate of people as well.
Progress?
Only for those who think they have.
Cuthbert, you are quite right about the Russian anti-tank dogs. There was a great shortage of dogs in western Russia for years after the War. The experiment ultimately failed as the trainers failed to take into account one thing. The dogs had been trained under Russian Tanks! When released in action they then headed for Russian tanks as they had been trained and not Wehrmacht, much to the consternation of the tank crews!