Sputnik 2
Launched on the 3rd of November 1957, Sputnik 2 was the first spacecraft to contain a living animal and was the second artificial satellite in earth orbit. Inside Sputnik 2 was Laika . The 3-year-old crossbreed Laika was found as a stray on the streets of Moscow and became the first creature in earth orbit. The satellite, took the shape of a 4-meter high cone, with a 2-meter diameter, and weighed in at approximately 500 kilos, considerably larger than the Sputnik 1 satellite launched the previous month. Several compartments on the craft held a variety of experimental equipment. Laika had her own cabin but we now know that due to a malfunction in the thermal control subsystem Laika had died several hours into the flight. Sputnik 2 re-entered the earth's atmosphere on the 14th April 1958 after being in orbit for 162 days