On this day in 1957, the Space Race began. 🌍✨ When the USSR launched Sputnik I, the first satellite to orbit Earth, the world changed overnight. The beeping sphere circling above wasn’t just a scientific triumph—it was a geopolitical shockwave. Suddenly, America was no longer ahead… and fear fueled a new era of innovation, rivalry, and discovery. 🎥 See how one small satellite sparked a global race for space in “Sputnik Declassified,” streaming now on Curiosity Stream. #OnThisDay #Sputnik #Spac

Laika, a stray from the streets of Moscow, became the first animal to orbit Earth aboard Sputnik II. 🌍✨ Before humans ever left our planet, dogs, monkeys, mice, and even turtles paved the way—testing the limits of life in space. Their missions, though often tragic, helped shape every human spaceflight to come. | Curiosity Stream

Laika was a Soviet stray dog launched into orbit on November 3, 1957, aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft, becoming the first animal to orbit the Earth. The mission was one-way, and Laika's survival was not expected, as the technology for re-entry had not yet been developed. She died from stress and overheating a few hours into the flight, not after a week as initially reported. The data from her mission helped demonstrate that living organisms could survive launch and microgravity, paving the way f