Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

Animals in Space Scientists were concerned about the unknown affects of weightlessness and other space environments on human astronauts. So animals were launched into space before any humans. Although some animals were sacrificed, their benefit to man kind shall always be remembered. In the following paragraphs I will attempt to describe some of the earliest animals in space and how they were used to our benefit. During the 1940’s the USSR and the United States began believing that space flight was possible. Not knowing the affects of space flight on humans, animals were sent into space. So preparation for human space flight depended on the ability of animals to survive in space. The first animals sent into space were dogs. Dogs such as Laika. Laika was a 3yr old Husky. She was sent into space November 3, 1957. She was aboard the space craft Sputnik 2. While in orbit she was supported by a harness that gave her access to food and water. Electrodes transmitted her vital signs. Three days into her flight the batteries in her life support ran down and life