Deep into the great void, she is by herself. On board her lone spaceship, a courageous and devoted dog hurtled into the emptiness.

She had been sent on a mission to orbit the Earth, but something had gone horribly wrong. Either the flight computer or the scientists miss-calculated the timing of the jettison of the spacecraft. The orbital mechanics and aerodynamics of the rocket were well put, so it's a mystery whether or not there were any sudden gravitational influences or it was sabotaged…...

Laika was a special dog, chosen by the Grand Union to be the first living being to orbit the Earth. She was a stray dog who was found wandering the streets of Old Coscow, but her fate would change forever when she was selected for this historic mission.

She undertook rigorous training in order to be ready for her space flight. She underwent a battery of demanding medical and psychological examinations to make sure she was ready for the mission. She received special training to help her tolerate the harsh conditions of spaceflight and to obey orders from the ground control crew.

The day of the launch arrived and Laika was placed in the capsule that would take her into space. She was strapped in, and the countdown began. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...blast off!

Laika felt the force of the launch as the rocket blasted off into the sky on those modified intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) R-7. She could feel her body being pushed back into her seat as the rocket gained speed. She could see the Earth getting smaller and smaller as she soared higher and higher into space.

As she reached orbit, Laika felt a sense of awe and wonder. She had succeeded! She was in orbit around the Earth and saw the Earth from above. She could make out the deserts, oceans, and clouds. She could see the lights of cities and the stars in the sky.

After about 13 days, committing countless orbits around the Earth, she noticed something was not right. The spacecraft was supposed to be in descending-to-earth mode, but her spacecraft still needed to be jettisoned from Block A. The communications systems were down, and she was stranded, alone, and adrift in the cold, uncaring void.

To her surprise, the emergency escape rocket mounted on the spacecraft was triggered, moving her away from the orbital path and Earth. Right then, she knew she would not make it to Earth.

But Laika was not one to give up easily. She was a survivor and knew that if she kept her wits about her, she might find a way to return to Earth. So she operated her controls, and with all the skill and determination she possessed, it was not enough.

As she flew, the solar storm outside raged on, buffeting her craft with fierce and unrelenting force. But Laika was unafraid, for she knew her journey was not yet over. She was still alive, and there was hope as long as she was alive. As she shifted through the planets, Laika's mind raced with thoughts of rescue. She had been trained to withstand the harsh conditions of space travel, but the loneliness and isolation had taken their toll. She longed for the touch of a dog's hand, the sound of a familiar voice, WOOF WOOF.

For days and nights on end, Laika hurtled through the darkness, her craft shaking and trembling as the solar storm battered it. But she never faltered, never wavered in her determination to survive.

But as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, Laika's hope began to fade…..

Part 2 Coming Soon….