, ▁super vised ▁by ▁Kam an in , ▁recommended ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁cos mon aut s ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁order : ▁G ag arin , ▁Tit ov , ▁N ely ub ov , ▁Nikol ay ev , ▁By kov ski y , ▁Pop ov ich . ▁At ▁this ▁stage ▁G ag arin ▁was ▁the ▁clear ▁favorite ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁man ▁in ▁space , ▁not ▁only ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁ex ams , ▁but ▁also ▁among ▁an ▁inform al ▁peer ▁evaluation . ▁ ▁Miss ions ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁human ▁space fl ight , ▁V ost ok ▁ 1 ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁was ▁preced ed ▁by ▁several ▁prepar atory ▁fl ights . ▁In ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 , ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁learned ▁that ▁the ▁Americans ▁could ▁launch ▁a ▁sub - orb ital ▁human ▁space fl ight ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁Kor ole v ▁saw ▁this ▁as ▁an ▁important ▁dead line , ▁and ▁was ▁determined ▁to ▁launch ▁a ▁cre wed ▁orb ital ▁mission ▁before ▁the ▁Americans ▁launched ▁their ▁human ▁sub orb ital ▁mission . ▁By ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁design ers ▁at ▁Serge i ▁Kor ole v ' s ▁design ▁b ureau , ▁then ▁known ▁as ▁OK B - 1 , ▁had ▁completed ▁a ▁draft ▁plan ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁V ost ok ▁space craft , ▁called ▁V ost ok ▁ 1 K . ▁This ▁design ▁would ▁be ▁used ▁for ▁testing ▁purposes ; ▁also ▁in ▁their ▁plan ▁was ▁V