Multiple choice general knowledge culture Name the first living being ever sent on a space mission. Yuri Gagarin from erstwhile Soviet Union Svetlana, a chimp from erstwhile Soviet Union Laika, a dog from erstwhile Soviet Union None of these Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself C Correct answer Explanation Laika, a stray dog from Moscow, became the first living being sent on a space mission aboard Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space (1961), and Svetlana the chimp is fictional; Laika was the actual pioneer.