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đŸȘ NASA Is Sending Dogs to Space

Going where no dog (ahem... robodog) has gone before...

Author

Bryan Reisberg
December 14, 2023

Dogs are heading into orbit? Sort of


Houston, we have lift off?

A companion robot dog, designed to provide emotional support to astronauts, has been unveiled by a student from South Korea’s Hongik University.

The small-scale robot dog, “Laika,” is named after the first dog to orbit the Earth aboard Sputnik 2.

A video shows Laika running, walking, barking and sitting. It’s designed to replicate the movements and behavior of real dogs to provide an approachable design that enables emotional connection for astronauts during lengthy missions.

So it’s an emotional support robot for space travel?

Laika offers way more than just emotional support. It offers water when the astronaut shows signs of fatigue and providing an analysis of a user’s vital signs following their exercise.

Student Jihee Kim designed Laika out of titanium to make it durable even in the harsh conditions of space.

How does it monitor the astronauts?

Laika is equipped with an array of sensors to monitor astronauts’ vitals and identify signs of potential physical or emotional distress. These electrocardiography sensors are placed on the robot’s back and neck, allowing it to check an astronaut’s vitals while being petted.

The design also features depth and thermal imaging cameras, as well as Simultaneous Localization and Mapping cameras (SLAM) for navigation capabilities.

NASA’s increasing investment into astronaut physical and mental health is fascinating
and canine science is aiding the path forward. Wild.

A blind dog with a guide dog? Yep.

Dogs are known to bring a smile to our faces and uplift our spirits, but golden retrievers Addie and Jake are showing us they can do just the same for each other, too.

After Jake lost his sight, his sister Addie became his eyes and helped him readjust to the world.

Your dog is actively trying to make you laugh


On December 6, the TikTok account for PetLab Co highlighted a study that shows dogs actively try to better our lives by getting us to laugh. Here's what you should know.

@petlabco

Does your pup make you laugh? #dogfacts #science #dogs #dogsoftiktok

The study, which Veronika Konok published at the Eötvös Lorånd University Faculty of Science in Budapest, Hungary, titled "Emotional communication between dogs and humans," found some interesting details.

Dogs can distinguish between tones of voice. In one study, “they were slower to take a piece of food when commanded to leave it with an ‘angry voice,’ compared to a ‘happy voice.’” They are also more likely to choose food or retrieve objects that humans have shown positive emotional expressions toward, as opposed to things humans have shown negative emotional expressions toward. Konok concludes that dogs are very perceptive of human emotional states — a fact that’s pretty obvious to any dog parent whose pup snuggles closer to them during tear-y movie nights. 

The research doesn’t actually prove that dogs intentionally try to make humans laugh, but it shows that dogs show a stronger emotional response to positive human sounds than negative human sounds.

Whatever the case, keep the jokes coming you little comedians


Overheard at a dog park:

❝

“It’s lunacy. I bring in a stick, Susan throws it back outside. Susan brings in an entire tree, it’s called a holiday
”

“Wow. Talk about a double standard.”

“I’m one ‘not now Tucker’ away from walking out, Murph
”

Conestee Dog Park, Greenville, SC

“The Squeeze”: Dog News In 60 Seconds

Today’s Last Laugh:

Package? What package? I didn’t see a package
?

@juicecupboxx

I know you didnt get online and order this so keep ya paws and mouf offfff😅 #juicecupbox