See Spot. See Spot run. See Spot on a satellite, surrounded by billions of stars.

On November 3, 1957, a mixed-breed pup named Laika became the first mammal launched into orbit, riding Sputnik 2 into outer space and paving the way for human space travel.

But, unlike all other animals and humans who followed, her trip was exclusively one-way.

Sealed in a tiny, pressurized cabin and fed globs of gelatin through an automatic dispenser, the canine was wired from snout to paw with electronic sensors transmitting back to the Soviet space station while hauling an excretion bag attached to her rear end.

But after only four days in orbit, the space craft’s cabin overheated, leaving Laika stressed and exhausted, ultimately causing her death.

Fifty years later, SF State cinema professor Jan Millsapps revisits the dog’s sacrificial journey in her novel “Screwed Pooch,” which gives readers a fictionalized — but realistic — account of Laika’s life, from the sullen streets of Moscow to outer space and the people she met along the way.

“This is really a story about Soviet culture at the time,” said Millsapps, who teaches screenwriting and digital cinema courses at the university.

After the launch of Sputnik, the Soviets were hailed by many for their scientific achievement and advancements in space exploration. And stray dogs like Laika were used to determine whether human spaceflight was feasible.

Millsapps researched for two years to describe the pooch’s account, chronicling early space travel and commemorating the 50th anniversary of Laika’s mission, all the while raising thought-provoking questions about the nature of trust, technology’s relationship to humankind, and the gender issues within the Soviet space program.

According to Millsapps, a female dog was strategically chosen because of the tiny ship’s space constraints.

“Male dogs lift their legs to pee and female dogs don’t have to,” Millsapps said.

“They chose [female dogs] for bathroom logistics,” she said.

Despite the idea of using a female to do the dirty work for a male dominated space program, Millsapps says she enjoys the fact that the first living creature in space was a female.

“It was important for me to locate and amplify that female voice, normally absent from early space history,” Millsapps said.

As a self-described baby boomer, Millsapps says she hopes her novel will spark interest beyond those who lived during the fervor of the space race, and into contemporary households and future generations.

“Even though issues appear to be dead, it’s always good to revisit them, “ said SF State graduate student Lynne Olson.

Although some students are curious to read Millsapp’s novel to learn about the dog’s journey, pet owners like senior park and recreation major Stephanie Aguilar are just glad animals are garnering the attention they deserve.

“I love animals, but there’s no way I’d go up in space!” said Aguilar, 21. “During the Egyptian days, cats ruled the world.”