60 Years Ago, A Good Dog Died Alone in Space

Remembering little Laika, the first animal to leave Earth and one of the saddest stories in science history

Laika, from Wikimedia Commons

I have long been fascinated by Laika, the little Russian dog that became the first Earth animal in space, and a friend today sent me Alex Wellerstein’s thoughtful remembrance of the little Barker in the New…