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Animals During The Space Race

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Did you know that in the year 1957, the Soviet Union sent the dog Laika into space? The Russians did this so that they did not have to sacrifice humans. Animal testing was necessary during the Space Race to save human lives. The famous space race began in 1957 between the Soviet Union and the United States. Both racing to be the first to space and the moon. Researchers with both teams during the space race thought it would be a better idea to send animals rather than send humans and risk their lives. The first animal launched into space was a Rhesus monkey followed by Laika the first dog sent into space.
Like I stated before the famous space race began in 1957 between the Soviet Union and the United States. They were both racing to see who could explore more of our Solar System. Space exploration was a large part of …show more content…

They sacrificed many animals to prevent having to sacrifice human lives. According to https://www.nasa.gov "Animals go into space to help conduct scientific research only when absolutely necessary." They are not just sending animals to space to kill them for fun only when it's "absolutely necessary." If scientists didn't send animals to space it would be humans being killed instead of animals, therefore, it is absolutely necessary.
In 1948 before the space race began a rhesus monkey was launched into space. Unfortunately, the monkey did not make it out of the atmosphere. Lakia was the first animal to actually make it to space in 1957. She was launched on November 3rd aboard the Soviet Sputnik 2. Following Laika, The Russians launched two more dogs into space. Bella and Strelka launched on August 19, 1960, on the Sputnik 5 along with 40 mice, two rats, a rabbit, some fruit flies and a couple plants. They were the first living things to successfully get to space and return

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