RUSSIANS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE SPACE DOG

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28435, 15 November 1957, Page 15

RUSSIANS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE SPACE DOG

MOSCOW, November 13. The space dog, Laika, "had to perish,” according to Professor Vladimir Chernigovsky, a prominent Soviet physiologist and a member of the Academy of Medical Sciences, at Moscow today. In an interview published in today's “Moscow News." Professor Chernigovsky said: “Under the conditions of the experiment the animal had to perish because Sputnik No. 2 is not to return to the earth.” Professor Chernigovsky continued: “Laika had the honour of being the first dog to travel in space. She was chosen because of her calm, well-balanced temperament and the fact that she was comparatively easier to train than others. “The animal had to undergo extensive training. On one side the animal should be restricted as little as possible. On the other side she had to be fixed in a definite position. Otherwise, with a condition of weightlessness, it would be impossible to ensure the animal’s regular feeding.” Before Laika was launched in the Sputnik she underwent a long course of training to get used to space flight. Professor Chernigovsky added i that once more a dog had aided man by opening up the way for

scientists to create Sputniks able to carry human beings “in safe conditions.” The Soviet Communist Party newspaper, “Pravda,” today carried an article on Sputnik 11, now silently circling the earth with its companion satellite —but said nothing of Laika’s fate. A diagram with the article showed no catapulting device by which the dog might have been returned to earth. This heightened the general belief at Moscow that Laika died—or was perhaps painlessly killed by some device in the satellite—about three days ago. “Pravda” said: “The condition of the animal throughout the entire experiment remained satisfactory,” adding that the experiment had been completed. • Earlier today, Moscow Radio said it was possible to bring back to earth equipment and animal passengers from earth satellites but “at present such is not the aim.” Cases were known, however, of animals sent into space having been saved, the radio added. “While the rocket burned itself out. the containers with the fourlegged passengers and equipment were automatically ejected by special parachute. Something similar can be rigged up for a Sputnik.”