A Journey Into Space

By luigi_pagano

Sat, 01 Dec 2018
  • 1479 reads
8 comments
 
In 1957 the Reds decided to pick
a small bitch to launch into space
in a rocket that they called Sputnik.
 
A country famous for the balalaika
became notorious for a small mutt,
a mongrel, part terrier, named Laika.
 
It was a test for human space flight
that later occurred with Yuri Gagarin
to the Soviets' overwhelming delight.
 
But in contrast to the poor barker
the male cosmonaut remained alive.
The canine's fate was rather darker.
 
Lack of oxygen or excessive heat
resulted in fatality for the wee tyke
and the experiment ended in defeat.
 
It is debatable if it was due to guilt
or to proclaim that all life is sacred
that to her memory a statue was built.
 
© Luigi Pagano 2018
Certificate U
Poem
Mutevoli pensieri
Historical Fiction
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by hudsonmoon on

I'd like to think it was the latter, Luigi. But I am a bit cynical. I'd frogotten this bit of history. Thanks.

Rich

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

The cynicism is justified, Rich. No consideration was shown to the animal in the first place.
You may be too young to have remembered this particular incident.

Best, Luigi

 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

How sad this poor creature was sent to its death without a choice. A poingnant poem indeed.

By the way, didn't they send a monkey into space too? 

Jenny. xx

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

You are correct Jenny. Both the United States and the USSR experimented with other animals and Laika was not the first into space but a Rhesus monkey, implanted with sensors, who died upon impact at rientry in 1949.

Luigi xx

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

A great achievement! And they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks! I myself am a dog person it is very sad Laika died in the experiment I wonder there was any intention to bring her back alive. By the way some of your facts sound a bit suspect.

Stay well! Sala ghachle!

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Many thanks for your feedback, Tom.
You may be right in your assertion that some of my facts sound a bit suspect as my memory, though good, is not as it was in 1957.

Cheers.

 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I had forgotten that the dog died, despite being an avid collector of space and space exploration facts at that time, (the rest of the family were more on the arts side, so I could astound them with my more scientific reading!)

I wonder whether the lessons learnt while the dog was alive and the cause of her death, helped make the Gagarin flight safer, hence the statue. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

It looks as if the sacrifice of that poor unfortunate dog was not, as the saying goes, in vain as it provided valuable information for the survival in space of human astronauts like Gagarin and others.
I assume that the memorial was erected for that reason.

Luigi x