A CASE STUDY

ETHICS OF ANIMAL RESEARCH:

ON LAIKA’S
DEATH
 OBJECTIVES:
• To have a thorough discussion about the case of Laika in concern
with ethics of animal research.
• To come up with a conclusion that supports or opposes the idea of
animal research specifically on Laika’s case.
 OVERVIEW

01 02 03 04
LAIKA’S SEQUENCE CONTROVERS OPINION
IES
PROFILE OF EVENTS &
& ISSUES CONCLUSION
01
LAIKA’
S
PROFIL
E
LAIKA
• Laika derives its name from the Russian word
meaning "bark." “Laika” wasn’t even her actual
name; it was Kudryavka, meaning Little Curly; in the
U.S. she was sometimes known as Muttnik.
• Laika was just a little (13 pounds [6 kg]), even-
tempered mixed-breed mongrel dog, was the first
living being to orbit the Earth and the first living
being to die in space.
• She was a stray dog discovered on the streets of
Moscow when she was around three years old, and
she was chosen by the Soviet space program to be
the subject of an experimental voyage into space to
study the effects of space travel on live things. On
November 3, 1957, she was propelled into space in
the 1100-pound Sputnik-2 craft.
02
SEQUEN
CE OF
EVENTS
Laika is ‘recruited’ into the Soviet As the world began to learn of the second
Sputnik, no word of Laika’s death was
space program. released.

Laika is mission attempts to study the Protests from animal protection

prolonged effect of weightlessness on a
living being. groups began around the world.

She was secured in a special pressurized The exact cause of Laika’s death
capsule 3 days before launch and provided
with a high nutrition gel for food and remained a mystery for decades.
water.

It appeared that weightlessness alone did The truth was not confirmed until 2002 when
not cause major changes to the vital Russian scientists confirmed that Laika had
physiological functions of a living creature died after launch due to heat and stress.

Cabin temperature begun rapidly The ethical considerations of the

climbing to unacceptably high levels. mission were not properly considered.
03
CONTROVER
SIES
& ISSUES
• The fatalities of animals in space exploration, particularly mammals,
had become highly controversial. Since then, the ethics of animal
experiments in space, as well as on Earth, have been argued.
• The press was more preoccupied with reporting the political
perspective, while the health and retrieval (or lack thereof) of Laika
was hardly mentioned.
• During and after the flight, the Soviet Union kept up the fiction that
Laika survived for several days.
• Lewis says. Soviet broadcasts claimed that Laika was alive until
November 12. The New York Times even reported that she might be
saved; however, Soviet communiqués made it clear after nine days
that Laika had died.
04
OPINION
&
CONCLUSI
ON
#1
DO YOU THINK THE
MISSION WAS
JUSTIFIED?
YES.
The mission was justified as it was done in an experimentation that was unsure
about the prolonged effect of weightlessness on a human being— since this was
the first attempt and the first creature to orbit the earth, it was subject for possible
error.

NO.
The mission was not justified since the mission showed controversies specifically,
the act of hiding the truth of the failure— the death of Laika.
 #2 HOW COULD THE
EXPERIMENT
HAVE REFINEMENT.
BEEN IMPROVED?
Double-checking and preparing for possible failure on temperature of the capsule.
Also, to have an automatic backup system for any possible failure of the
capsule.

REPLACEMENT.
Research or find more suitable subject for the experiment. For example, an animal
that has a strong resistance against the pressure of the mission.
 #3
WAS THE OUTCOME OF PUTTING
THE FIRST MAN IN SPACE A VALID
AIM FOR SACRIFICING LAIKA?

YES.
Despite Laika’s tragic death, the outcome of the said mission contributed
to technology for the further exploration of outer space, thus, resulting
the success of putting the first man in space.
 #4
DID THE FACT THAT THE RUSSIAN
SCIENTISTS COVERED UP LAIKA’S
DEATH MAKE THE EXPERIMENT
MORE UNETHICAL?
YES.
Since the concept of animal experimentation is already unethical, the
event on which Russian Scientists covered Laika’s death, reinforces the
opinion that the mission and the tragic outcomes of Laika was indeed in
a higher unethical experimentation.