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second satellite = Sputnik 2
The Sputnik program is the commonly known name
of a group of various robotic spacecraft missions launched by the
Soviet Union. The first of these, Sputnik 1, launched the first
human-made object to orbit the Earth. That launch took place on
October 4, 1957 as part of the International Geophysical Year and
demonstrated the viability of using artificial satellites to
explore the upper atmosphere.
The Russian word sputnik literally means
"co-traveler", "traveling companion" or "satellite", and the
satellite's R-7 launch vehicle was designed initially to carry
nuclear warheads.
Sputnik 2 was the second spacecraft launched
into Earth orbit, on November 3, 1957, and the first to carry a
living animal, a dog named Laika. Sputnik 2 was a 4-meter (13 foot)
high cone-shaped capsule with a base diameter of 2 meters (6.6
feet). It contained several compartments for radio transmitters, a
telemetry system, a programming unit, a regeneration and
temperature control system for the cabin, and scientific
instruments. A separate sealed cabin contained the dog Laika.
Engineering and biological data were transmitted
using the Tral D telemetry system, which would transmit data to
Earth for a 15 minute period during each orbit. Two photometers
were on board for measuring solar radiation (ultraviolet and x-ray
emissions) and cosmic rays. Sputnik 2 did not contain a television
camera; TV images of dogs on Sputnik 5 are commonly misidentified
as Laika.
Sputnik 2 was launched into a 212 ? 1660 km (132
? 1031 mi) orbit with a period of 103.7 minutes on an essentially
unmodified ICBM R-7, similar to the one used to launch Sputnik 1.
After reaching orbit the nose cone was jettisoned successfully but
the Blok A core did not separate as planned. This inhibited the
operation of the thermal control system. Additionally some of the
thermal insulation tore loose causing interior temperatures to
reach 40 °C (104 °F). It is believed Laika survived for only a few
hours instead of the planned ten days because of the heat. The
orbit of Sputnik 2 decayed and it reentered Earth's atmosphere on
14 April 1958 after 162 days in orbit.
The first living creature (larger than a
microbe) to enter orbit was a female part-Samoyed terrier
originally named Kudryavka (Little Curly) but later renamed Laika
("Barker"). She weighed about 6 kg (13 lb). The pressurized cabin
on Sputnik 2 allowed enough room for her to lie down or stand and
was padded. An air regeneration system provided oxygen; food and
water were dispensed in a gelatinized form. Laika was fitted with a
harness, a bag to collect waste, and electrodes to monitor vital
signs. Early telemetry indicated Laika was agitated but eating her
food. In October 2002 it was revealed by Russian sources that Laika
had already died after a few hours from overheating and stress, not
suffocation, as is commonly believed. If neither had taken place,
Russian Mission Control had planned to euthanize Laika with
poisoned food, as she would have burned up in the atmosphere during
reentry. The mission provided scientists with the first data on the
behavior of a living organism in the space environment.
Sputnik 2 detected the Earth's outer radiation
belt in the far northern latitudes, but the significance of the
elevated radiation was not realized. In Australia, Professor Harry
Messel intercepted the signals but the Soviets would not provide
the code and the Australians would not send the data. In 1958, with
Sputnik 3, they began to cooperate and confirmed the findings of
the U.S. satellites Explorer 1, 3, and 4.
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