The first animal to be sent into space was a dog named Laika, launched by the Soviet Union aboard Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. Laika became the first living creature to orbit the Earth, providing valuable data on the effects of space travel on living organisms. Unfortunately, the mission was not designed with a safe return in mind, and Laika did not survive the journey. Despite this, her mission paved the way for future human spaceflight and contributed significantly to our understanding of how living beings can endure the challenges of space travel.