IGY Bulletin, Number 6, December 1957 - Second Soviet satellite

This issue of the IGY Bulletin closes with a short piece on the launch of Sputnik 2 on Nov. 3, 1957. The text issued by the Russian news agency Tass was included verbatim. It stated that the satellite was instrumented to measure solar ultraviolet radiation and x-rays, cosmic rays, temperature, and pressure. Data were transmitted to Earth via radio waves for a week after launch.

This satellite project was giving the go-ahead after the successful launch of Sputnik 1, and was completed within a month to launch in time to honor the 40th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. 

Sputnik 2 weighed 1100 pounds, about six times as much as Sputnik 1. Clearly, the Soviet rockets were able to carry significant payloads. Sputnik 2 stayed in orbit through April 14, 1958, when it burned up in the atmosphere. It completed 2,370 revolutions around the Earth.

Sputnik 2 also carried the first animal into orbit, the dog Laika, as described in this article on the 60th anniversary of its launch.  The Soviet Union had already gained experience in launching animals via rockets into the stratosphere. Laika had implanted gauges for measuring blood pressure, respiration, and tracing of electrocardiograms. Laika was doomed to die since there was no way at that time to return to Earth. She survived the launch, but it was revealed years later that she died not long afterwards due to excessive heat. Laika's fate stimulated some of the early protests for animal rights.

November 13, 1957. Dog Laika in a hermetic cabin before installation on the satellite (Tass)

This post from the Drew Ex Machina blog provides more information on the Sputnik 2 mission and Laika.

I own a 52-page booklet entitled Soviet Sputniks, published during the IGY in 1958 by Soviet News as booklet #25. It focuses on the basics of the Soviet satellite program, and specifically on Sputniks 1 and 2.

Scan of cover of Soviet Sputniks

The booklet contains a figure showing the biological monitoring of Laika.

I was inspired by this dog's tale (not her tail) to order the eponymous prize-winning graphic novel Laika, published in 2007 by Nick Abadzis.

Cover of Laika

Images from the graphic novel have also been set to music by Luca Tozzi in this video.

The Sputniks have been well represented on stamps. The Soviet Union issued a set of four stamps in 1957 and 1958 (Scott #2032-2036) honoring Sputnik 2, depicting the allegorical statue "To the Stars" by artist and sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich.

Russia Sputnik 2 stamps (Scott #2032-2036) from my collection

Laika, the "first space traveler," was commemorated earliest along with Sputnik 2 on two Romanian stamps (Scott #1200-1201) issued on Dec. 20, 1957.

Romania Sputnik 2-Laika stamps (Scott #1200-1201) from my collection

While searching for some information on this post, I also came across a pretty cool Tass web page about Sputnik 1.

The U.S. would soon get its turn for sending a satellite into space. Stay tuned.