Laika was a dog living on the streets of Moscow and was suffering from hunger. When Soviet scientists were looking for a dog to be sent to space, Laika's endurance and docility caught their attention. Laika received months of training to be prepared for the space flight. These trainings included challenging conditions such as being spun in centrifuges, sealed in a small capsule, and given food in gel form.

Laika was sent to space in the Sputnik 2 spacecraft on November 3rd, 1957.  Unfortunately, with the technology at that time, it was not possible for Laika to return back from its journey. It is thought that Laika died from overheating and stress a few hours after the spacecraft was placed into orbit.