, ▁a ▁design ▁called ▁V ost ok ▁ 3 K A ▁( or ▁ 3 A ). ▁The ▁only ▁differences ▁were ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁carry ▁a ▁single ▁dog ▁into ▁orbit , ▁a ▁life - size ▁man ne quin ▁would ▁be ▁stra pped ▁into ▁the ▁main ▁e jection ▁seat , ▁and ▁( un like ▁the ▁cre wed ▁miss ions ) ▁they ▁had ▁a ▁self - dest ruct ▁system . ▁The ▁recent ▁fail ures ▁of ▁V ost ok ▁ 1 K ▁were ▁not ▁encourag ing , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁decided ▁to ▁proceed ▁with ▁launch es ▁of ▁an ▁autom ated ▁variant ▁of ▁V ost ok ▁ 3 K A , ▁the ▁space craft ▁design ▁that ▁would ▁conduct ▁a ▁human ▁space fl ight . ▁The ▁appro val ▁of ▁a ▁cre wed ▁mission ▁was ▁cont ing ent ▁upon ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁autom ated ▁V ost ok ▁ 3 K A ▁miss ions . ▁Un like ▁the ▁previous ▁V ost ok ▁ 1 K ▁fl ights , ▁the ▁two ▁un cre wed ▁V ost ok ▁ 3 K A ▁fl ights ▁were ▁planned ▁to ▁last ▁only ▁a ▁single ▁orbit , ▁to ▁im itate ▁the ▁plan ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁human ▁flight . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁of ▁these ▁un cre wed ▁fl ights , ▁Kor abl - S put nik ▁ 4 , ▁was ▁launched ▁on ▁March ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁It ▁carried ▁the ▁dog ▁Ch ern ush ka ▁into ▁orbit , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁man ne quin ▁called ▁Ivan ▁Ivan ov ich