In the midst of the 1950s Space Race, the imminent launch of Sputnik 2 took an abrupt turn. A top-secret communiqué from the Kremlin mandated a complete redesign of the spacecraft. Rumor had it that Khrushchev himself had been moved by his young granddaughter's tearful plea, asking not for the glory of space conquest, but for the safe return of Laika, the dog who was to make the journey. Engineers scrambled, working around the clock to equip Sputnik 2 with a cutting-edge re-entry pod and a life support system.

Laika launched into orbit on November 3. For three days, she circled the Earth while ground control watched. On the fourth day, re-entry began. After a tense descent, Sputnik 2 splashed into the Barents Sea. The world exhaled in relief as the recovered pod opened to reveal Laika - shaken, but alive.

Laika recovered and attended a parade in her honour. Where she was awarded a medal and lived on in the hearts and memory of the Russian Space Program.

This image created with AI.