Vostok-L

It was derived from the Luna rocket, with a slightly enlarged third stage to accommodate the larger payload. and was a member of the Vostok family of rockets.

Launches

Four launches were conducted between 15 May and 1 December 1960, from Baikonur LC-1/5, three of which successfully reached orbit.

The first flight, on 15 May 1960, carried the Korabl-Sputnik 1 spacecraft. The second launched on 28 July, however one of the booster engines exploded during launch, causing the booster to separate prematurely, 19 seconds after launch. The rocket broke up 30 seconds after liftoff, killing the two dogs that were aboard the spacecraft. The third flight successfully placed Korabl-Sputnik 2 into orbit on 19 August, whilst the fourth and final flight orbited Korabl-Sputnik 3 on 1 December.

The Vostok-L was replaced by an uprated version, the Vostok-K, which offered a greater payload capacity.