Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. Cosmo's 3 is based on the tragic true story of Laika The Space Dog

To understand how poor Laika ended up on a rocket with no plans to return to earth, it is important to understand the context of space travel in the 1950s. one-sided mission, the United States and the Soviet Union had entered years into the Cold War, a conflict that would last decades and involve espionage, bloodshed and perhaps most surprisingly, a lot of cultural competition. Both nations wanted to prove their mettle (and the validity of their respective political ideologies) by being the first to send a man to the moon, but before humans could safely travel to space, animals were sent instead.

According to the Royal Museums Greenwich, the first known animals in space were fruit flies, which were sent 107 km into the air in 1947 by Americans curious to know how cosmic radiation could have an impact on biological structures. Soon, scientists began using mammals like dogs and monkeys to determine exactly what astronauts should be prepared for when they left Earth, as well as what spacesuits and other onboard technology could do to mitigate the space travel effects.

While it is difficult to imagine an alternative method of rudimentary research that would not kill many astronauts in the process, the use of animals in early space travel experiments space is undoubtedly extremely upsetting. Many animals died during the Space Age, but few stories are as tragic as Laika's. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the dog, which is often cited as part Samoyed but in the pictures also appears to be part terrier, was chosen from several Moscow strays for the mission aboard Sputnik 2. Like Cosmo, she had special equipment for her. trips, including a diaper-like affixed bag, harness, and electrode pads to capture readings on his vital signs throughout the trip, according to NASA.