THIS IS ONE OF THE SADDEST PHOTOS 

63 years ago Laika became the first animal to go to space and orbit the Earth before any human ever did. She died in space; alone, in agony, and terrified.

She was a stray dog who was plucked from the streets of Moscow, selected for her small size and bright coat (that would show up nicely on film.) 

She passed away five hours after she was thrust into orbit (although for over 40 years the truth was covered up and officials insisted she was alive for days after take-off.) 

She died due to overheating. The satellite wasn’t sufficiently insulated from the sun’s rays, and she essentially cooked to death. 

The Soviets admitted that they never planned for her to make a return trip, and knew she would perish in the experiment. 

“Laika, the first animal to be launched into orbit, died from overheating and panic in the tiny spacecraft – all alone and in severe pain.”

“The more time passes, the more I’m sorry about it. We shouldn’t have done it.”

Remember…