Laika was a stray dog from Moscow who became the first animal to orbit Earth. She was launched into space aboard the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. Laika's mission was to gather data on the effects of space travel on living beings, paving the way for future human spaceflight. Unfortunately, Laika did not survive the mission. The technology at the time did not allow for her safe return, and she died a few hours after launch due to overheating. Despite this, Laika's journey provided valuable information that contributed to the success of later space missions.