Sputnik II
Definition
Sputnik II was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, also by Soviet Union, but this time with a living passenger - a dog named Laika.
Analogy
Continuing with our ball-throwing competition analogy, Sputnik II is like throwing not just any ball, but one with your pet hamster safely inside it. This makes your throw even more impressive because you've shown that you can send living things far away and keep them safe (though unfortunately for Laika, this wasn't exactly true).
Related terms
Laika: The first animal to orbit Earth. Like the hamster in our analogy.
Animal Testing: This refers to using animals in experiments and development of products from medicines to cosmetics. In our analogy, it would be like testing how well your hamster can handle being thrown inside the ball before actually doing it.
Space Exploration: The investigation of physical conditions in space and on stars, planets, and their moons through artificial satellites (like Sputniks), spacecrafts etc. It's like exploring every nook and cranny of that open field where you're throwing balls.
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