able ▁car rier ▁ro cket ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁for ▁th ir teen ▁launch es ▁between ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁six ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁man ned . ▁It ▁was ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁earlier ▁V ost ok - L ; ▁however , ▁it ▁featured ▁u pr ated ▁engines ▁to ▁improve ▁performance , ▁and ▁en large ▁its ▁payload ▁capacity . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁V ost ok ▁family ▁of ▁rock ets . ▁ ▁The ▁V ost ok - K ▁made ▁its ▁ma iden ▁flight ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁December ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁three ▁weeks ▁after ▁the ▁ret irement ▁of ▁the ▁V ost ok - L . ▁The ▁third ▁stage ▁engine ▁failed ▁ 4 2 5 ▁seconds ▁after ▁launch , ▁and ▁the ▁payload , ▁a ▁Kor abl - S put nik ▁space craft , ▁failed ▁to ▁reach ▁orbit . ▁The ▁space craft ▁was ▁recovered ▁after ▁landing , ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁dogs ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁space craft ▁surv ived ▁the ▁flight . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁a ▁V ost ok - K ▁ro cket ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁launch ▁V ost ok ▁ 1 , ▁the ▁first ▁man ned ▁space fl ight , ▁which ▁made ▁Y uri ▁G ag arin ▁the ▁first ▁human ▁to ▁fly ▁in ▁space . ▁All ▁six ▁man ned ▁miss ions ▁of ▁the ▁V ost ok ▁programme ▁were ▁launched ▁using ▁V ost ok - K ▁rock ets . ▁The ▁first ▁two ▁Z