▁cre wed ▁flight ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁ ▁A ▁major ▁set back ▁occurred ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 4 , ▁when ▁a ▁ro cket ▁explos ion ▁killed ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 ▁people , ▁including ▁Chief ▁Marsh al ▁of ▁Art illery ▁Mit ro fan ▁Ned elin , ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁called ▁the ▁Ned elin ▁cat ast rop he . ▁This ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁worst ▁dis aster s ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁space fl ight . ▁It ▁involved ▁a ▁ro cket ▁that ▁was ▁not ▁designed ▁by ▁Kor ole v , ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁necessary ▁for ▁the ▁V ost ok ▁programme ; ▁the ▁ro cket ▁was ▁by ▁rival ▁designer ▁Mik h ail ▁Y angel , ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁new ▁generation ▁of ▁inter cont inental ▁ball istic ▁miss iles . ▁It ▁would ▁be ▁two ▁weeks ▁before ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁V ost ok ▁programme ▁continued , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁real ised ▁that ▁the ▁original ▁target ▁of ▁a ▁December ▁cre wed ▁launch ▁was ▁un real istic . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁the ▁next ▁V ost ok ▁ 1 K ▁space craft , ▁called ▁Kor abl - S put nik ▁ 3 ▁by ▁the ▁press , ▁was ▁launched . ▁It ▁carried ▁the ▁two ▁dogs ▁P chy ol ka ▁and ▁M ush ka . ▁After ▁about ▁ 2 4 ▁hours , ▁the ▁engines ▁were ▁intended ▁to ▁fire ▁to ▁begin ▁re - entry , ▁but ▁they ▁fired ▁for ▁less ▁time ▁than ▁had ▁been ▁expected . ▁This ▁meant