First death in orbit

A dog named Laika (meaning ‘barker’) became the first animal to orbit the Earth when she launched into space aboard the Soviet Sputnik 2 spacecraft on 3 November 1957. However, Sputnik 2 was not designed to return to Earth and the mission was a death sentence for the dog. The capsule was fitted with systems to provide food, water and oxygen, as well as enough room for Laika to stand or lie down. In October 2002, it was revealed that Laika had died just a few hours after launch from stress and overheating. Official reports prior to 2002 had insisted Laika had died from suffocation.