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the Russian space program made one giant leap for canines.

Sputnik one and amazed and horrified the Western World in equal measure when it became the first artifical satellite of the earth on October 4 that same year.

It steady 'beep' was like something from a different world, a communist world, where perhaps everyone communicated in beeps.

	America was, not un-naturally, mortified to have been beaten into space...

America was, not un-naturally, mortified to have been beaten into space, for centuries the high-ground had been the best place to start if you wanted to win a battle and the Russians had just claimed the high ground in a very spectaular way.

The offical name of Sputnik was Iskustvennyi Sputnik Zemli (fellow world traveler of the earth), but they would say that, wouldn't they.

the high ground

It was more significant for what it represented rather than what it was (a 184lb of primitive sphere which circled the earth beeping and sending back information about the upper atmosphere).

How it got there was a worry, it was blasted into space on top of a test version of the Russian's intercontinental ballistic missile.

This development meant the US began to take the whole issue of space very seriously indeed. Although the Russians had been promising to send a satellite into space since 1955 few took the claim seriously.

Having just got over the shock of a Ruskie spy in the sky doing heaven knows what Sputnik II was launched.

dogs in space

	This time it had a living cargo, a dog by the name of Laika...

This time it had a living cargo, a dog by the name of Laika. It proved beyond a shadow of a doubt the Russians were capable of getting living things into the vacuum of space.

The first biomedical data was sent back down from earth and Laika became a national hero for the Russians.

There seems a certain amount of confusion as to what exactly happened to the dog.

Not that it did die but how it died. After 162 days its number was up when Sputnik II re-entered the atmosphere but that did not worry Laika because after 7 days the air would have run out.

Some sources suggest the dog was put down remotely before this happened which is possible but you have to wonder why bother but for propoganda purpose.

So the Russian's had proved they could get a living creature into space but getting it back was not so easy.

The dog became famous enough to advertise and promote its very own brand of cigarettes. Fame beyond most peoples imaginations.

	ON THIS DAY...
	The Stars

In fact the Russians managed just about every major first when it came to space exploration. The only thing they failed to get to first was the Moon.

Certainly the largest prize in the space race but history has rather proved this was a very expensive sideshow.