Laika, imbwa yakuwe mu mihanda y’i Moscow mu Burusiya, yabaye ikimenyetso gikomeye cy’ubushakashatsi bw’isanzure bw’Abasoviyeti nyuma yo koherezwa mu isanzure ku wa 3 Ugushyingo 1957, ikaba ikiremwa cya mbere kizima kizengurutse Isi.
Yoherejwe mu cyogajuru cyiswe Sputnik 2, nyuma y’ukwezi kumwe gusa Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Abasoviyeti zitangije Sputnik 1, icyogajuru cya mbere cyakozwe n’abantu cyazengurutse Isi.
Urugendo rwa Laika rwari rugamije gufasha abahanga kumenya uko ibinyabuzima byitwara mu isanzure, mu rwego rwo gutegura kohereza abantu mu kirere.
Icyakora, icyo cyogajuru nticyari gifite uburyo bwo kugarura Laika ku Isi. Yapfuye nyuma y’amasaha make igeze mu isanzure, bitewe n’ubushyuhe bwinshi bwabaye mu gice yari irimo.
Laika yari imbwa y’ingore yari yaratoraguwe mu mihanda ya Moscow. Abahanga b’Abasoviyeti bahisemo gukoresha imbwa z’akajagari kuko babonaga ko zari zifite ubushobozi bwo kwihanganira ibihe bikomeye byo hanze.
Yari yarahawe imyitozo yo kumenyera ahantu hato cyane, urusaku n’imikazo ijyana n’ingendo zo mu kirere. Abahanga banashyize ku mubiri wayo ibikoresho byapimaga uko umutima utera, uko ihumeka n’izindi mpinduka z’umubiri.
Umuhanga mu by’ubuvuzi bw’inyamaswa, Vladimir Yazdovsky, wayoboraga zimwe mu nshingano zo gutegura izo mbwa, yigeze kujyana Laika iwe mbere y’urugendo kugira ngo ayihe igihe cyiza cyo gukina n’umuryango we.
Abashakashatsi bari bazi ko nta buryo bwari bwateguwe bwo kuyigarura ku Isi, kuko icyogajuru Sputnik 2 cyari cyakozwe mu gihe gito cyane.
Ku wa 3 Ugushyingo 1957, Sputnik 2 yarahagurutse itwaye Laika. Yabaye ikiremwa cya mbere kizima kizengurutse Isi, urugendo rwafunguye indi ntambwe mu bushakashatsi bw’isanzure.
Icyakora, urugendo rwayo ntirwamaze igihe kirekire. Ubushyuhe bwo mu cyogajuru bwazamutse cyane nyuma y’ikibazo cyabaye mu buryo bwo kugenzura ubushyuhe, bituma Laika ipfa nyuma y’amasaha make.
Mu gihe kirekire, ubutegetsi bw’Abasoviyeti bwatangaga amakuru avuga ko Laika yapfuye nyuma y’iminsi myinshi. Nyuma, amakuru yatangajwe n’abahanga bari bagize uruhare muri uwo mushinga yagaragaje ko yapfuye mu masaha make nyuma yo koherezwa mu isanzure.
Icyogajuru cyakomeje kuzenguruka Isi amezi agera kuri atanu, mbere yo gushya no gusenyukira mu kirere ku wa 14 Mata 1958.
Urugendo rwa Laika rwabaye intambwe ikomeye mu marushanwa y’ubushakashatsi bw’isanzure hagati y’Abasoviyeti na Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika, yari azwi nka Space Race.
Nubwo Laika itagarutse ku Isi, amakuru yakusanyijwe mu rugendo rwayo yafashije abahanga kurushaho gusobanukirwa n’ingaruka ingendo zo mu isanzure zishobora kugira ku binyabuzima.
Mu 1960, Abasoviyeti bohereje izindi mbwa ebyiri, Belka na Strelka, mu isanzure, zigaruka ku Isi ari nzima. Ibyo byabaye intambwe ikomeye mbere y’uko Yuri Gagarin aba umuntu wa mbere ugeze mu isanzure ku wa 12 Mata 1961.
Laika yakomeje kwibukwa mu mateka y’ubushakashatsi bw’isanzure. Yagaragajwe ku biceri, ku maposita no mu bihangano bitandukanye, ndetse i Moscow hashyirwa urwibutso rwayo mu 2008.
Nubwo yafatwaga nk’ikimenyetso cy’iterambere ry’ubumenyi, urupfu rwayo rwakomeje gutera impaka ku mikoreshereze y’inyamaswa mu bushakashatsi.
Oleg Gazenko, umwe mu bahanga bagize uruhare mu guhitamo Laika, yaje kuvuga ko uko igihe cyagendaga gihita yarushagaho kwicuza ko iyo mbwa yoherejwe mu rugendo itashoboraga kugarukamo.
Laika rero ntiyabaye gusa imbwa ya mbere yazengurutse Isi; yabaye n’ikimenyetso cy’ibyo abantu bemeye gutanga mu rugendo rwo gushaka kumenya byinshi ku isanzure.
