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Extra.ie
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Who is Laika? The heartbreaking real-life story behind Ireland's Eurovision entry
Laika is having a party and you're all invited. Norwegian singer EMMY is set to fly the flag for Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday night as she performs her song Laika Party in the second semi-final. While many of us may be familiar with the song's catchy lyrics, do you know the real-life story behind the track? Laika is having a party and you're all invited. Pic: Corinne Cumming/EBU Laika is arguably one of the world's most famous dogs to date. She was the first living creature to be launched into Earth's orbit, on board the Soviet artificial satellite Sputnik 2. The launch mission took place on November 3, 1957 and was revolutionary for the time. Laika is arguably one of the world's most famous dogs to date. Pic: Fine Art Images/It was always understood that Laika would not survive the mission, but for decades, many were uncertain about what actually happened to the beloved animal. Laika was only two years of age at the time of her flight and was one of a number of stray dogs that were taken into the Soviet spaceflight program. At the time, only female dogs were rescued from the streets as they were believed to handle confinement better than their male counterparts. It was always understood that Laika would not survive the mission, but for decades many were uncertain about what actually happened to the beloved animal. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Laika trained for some time ahead of her mission, even being spun in a centrifuge to accustom her to changes in gravity. She also learned to accept food in jellied form that could be easily served without the need for gravity. After the launch was announced, Laika quickly became a global celebrity, with many curious to learn of her fate. Laika trained for some time ahead of her mission, even being spun in a centrifuge to accustom her to changes in gravity. Pic: Keystone/Getty Images According to Soviet accounts, the dog was kept alive for six or seven days into the mission and then euthanised with poisoned food before her oxygen supply fully depleted. However, in 2002, Russian scientist Dimitri Malashenkov revealed that the previous accounts of her death were in fact false. Laika had actually survived only about five to seven hours after liftoff before dying due to overheating and panic. Rest in peace, Laika, you would have loved the Irish entry for Eurovision 2025!
Irish Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Poll: Do you like Ireland's Eurovision entry Laika Party from Emmy?
The countdown is on for this year's Eurovision, with Norwegian singer Emmy aiming to take the top spot for Ireland for the first time since 1996. While her song Laika Party has captured the hearts of many, much like any Eurovision ditty, the tune can be divisive. And while the views are racking up for the singer, some people aren't convinced that Laika Party has what it takes to bring home the gold. The Norwegian star, whose full name is Emmy Kristine Guttulsrud Kristiansen, met Irish songwriter Larissa Tormey at a songwriting camp in Norway, with the pair joining Emmy's brother Erlend Guttulsrud Kristiansen,Truls Marius Aarra and Henrik Østlund to pen the track. Emmy's Eurovision tune is a tribute to Laika, a stray dog from the streets of Moscow who travelled into space onboard Sputnik 2 in 1957, becoming the first dog to travel to the final frontier. Sadly, the little mongrel died on the shuttle, although there was never any plans for her to return to Earth, but Emmy's track imagines that she is still alive, 'partying in the sky'. With an infectious hook, 'Laika party in the sky', the track was the preferred choice amongst Irish Eurovision judges, including previous song contest hopeful Bambie Thug, who had picked Laika Party as one of her favourites during the selection process. While the track has amassed over one million views on the official Eurovision channel, it hasn't been unanimously loved. Singer Samantha Mumba hit out at the Eurosong panel, calling them "vile and rude", after the Gotta Tell You hitmaker missed out on representing Ireland. Now, we are asking Irish Mirror readers what they think of Emmy's Eurovision entry, Lakia Party, ahead of Ireland's performance in the second semi final on Thursday night in Switzerland.
Forbes
19-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
3 Animals You Didn't Know Went To Space — One Might Still Be Out There, Waiting To Wake Up
Not every space traveler has worn a suit or walked upright. From monkeys to microscopic marvels, ... More these species show how far life on Earth has reached. You've seen the headlines. The James Webb Space Telescope detected methane and carbon dioxide on a distant exoplanet, stirring cautious excitement about the possibility of life beyond Earth. It's the strongest signal yet. But for now, it remains just a theory. What's not theory is this: Life from Earth has already left the planet. And not just humans and dogs, either. Over the decades, we've launched a surprising cast of living organisms into space, from stray cats to microscopic indestructible micro-animals. Their time out there may have been brief, but they crossed a boundary few lifeforms never will. Some may never return. Here are three you probably didn't expect. There's a general misconception that Laika, the Soviet space dog, was the first animal in space. But the truth is quieter and smaller. On February 20, 1947, the United States launched a group of fruit flies aboard a captured German V-2 rocket. This swarm went down in history as the first living organisms from Earth to reach space, beating both dogs and humans by years. The flies were recovered alive after a successful parachute descent, marking the silent start of life's journey off-planet. For context, Laika flew aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957, a full decade later. And Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, followed in 1961. Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) have long been model organisms in science — small, easy to breed and genetically well-understood, even in the 1940s. Their short life cycles make them ideal for studying generational effects, and they require minimal life support systems, making them perfect candidates for early, high-risk flights. The fruit fly continues to be widely used for biological research in genetics, physiology, microbial ... More pathogenesis and life history evolution. More importantly, fruit flies are sensitive to radiation and share some fundamental biological responses with us, making them valuable analogs for studying the genetic effects of cosmic exposure. Researchers were especially interested in how cosmic rays, a largely untested threat at the time, would affect living tissue. Under the microscope, they look almost like animated plush toys — slow-moving, water-bloated and oddly adorable. But tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, are among the toughest survivors evolution has ever carved out. And in 2007, they became the first animals known to survive direct exposure to the vacuum and radiation of space. Less than a millimeter long, these water-dwelling, eight-legged micro-animals can endure boiling ... More heat, freezing cold, crushing pressure and radiation. Sent into low Earth orbit aboard the European Space Agency's FOTON-M3 mission, dehydrated tardigrades endured ten days in outer space. When rehydrated back on Earth, most of the specimens protected from UV radiation came back to life. Some even went on to reproduce. Their resilience comes from cryptobiosis, a kind of biological stasis in which they shut down nearly all activity and dry into a glass-like shell. In this 'tun state,' they can survive extreme cold, searing heat and even radiation. And Earth's biological signature may still be out there. Thousands of tardigrades were aboard the Beresheet lander that crashed on the Moon in 2019. While the odds of survival are slim, and reactivation impossible without water, some may be lying dormant on the lunar surface, frozen in time. On October 18, 1963, France launched a black-and-white stray cat, later named Félicette, into suborbital space aboard a Véronique AGI 47 sounding rocket. She was one of 14 female cats trained for spaceflight by the French Centre d'Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique (CERMA). The cats underwent rigorous training, including exposure to intense G-forces and confinement, to prepare for the mission. Félicette's short flight reached an altitude of 157 kilometers, 57 past the Kármán line, during which she experienced about five minutes of weightlessness. Electrodes implanted in her skull transmitted neurological data back to Earth, providing insights into the effects of space travel on living organisms. Remarkably, she survived the flight and was safely recovered. Soon after, she was euthanized so scientists could learn more from her autopsy. Despite her contributions, Félicette's story remained largely unknown for decades. While other animal astronauts like Laika became celebrated figures, Félicette faded into obscurity. It wasn't until 2019 that she received formal recognition with a bronze statue honoring her contributions to space exploration. Félicette eventually was immortalized with a bronze statue depicting her perched atop Earth, gazing ... More skyward. This was unveiled at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France, and honors her unique place in space exploration history . After seeing just how far life from Earth has traveled, how connected do you feel to the life still here? Take the Connectedness to Nature Scale and discover your link to the wild.
