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The Vostok-K ( meaning "East"), GRAU index 8K72K was an expendable carrier rocket used by the Soviet Union for thirteen launches between 1960 and 1964, six of which were crewed. It incorporated several modifications to the core and strap-ons to man-rate them and the Blok E stage also had the improved RD-0109 engine to correct some deficiences in the RD-0105 used on earlier 8K78s. It was a member of the Vostok family of rockets.

Key facts

Rocket.name
Vostok-K (8K72K)
Rocket.image
Vostok 8K72K.svg
Rocket.caption
Vostok-K rocket
Rocket.upright
0.4
Rocket.function
Small-lift launch vehicle
Rocket.manufacturer
OKB-1
Rocket.country origin
Soviet Union
Rocket.stages
3
Rocket.family
R-7
Rocket.derivatives
Vostok-2
Rocket.status
Retired
Rocket.sites
Baikonur, Site 1/5
Rocket.launches
13
Rocket.success
11
Rocket.fail
2
Rocket.first
22 December 1960
Rocket.last
10 July 1964
Rocket.payloads
Vostok

via Wikipedia infobox

~2 min read

Encyclopedic overview

3 sections
Contents
  • Launches
  • Notes
  • References

The Vostok-K ( meaning "East"), GRAU index 8K72K was an expendable carrier rocket used by the Soviet Union for thirteen launches between 1960 and 1964, six of which were crewed. It incorporated several modifications to the core and strap-ons to man-rate them and the Blok E stage also had the improved RD-0109 engine to correct some deficiences in the RD-0105 used on earlier 8K78s. It was a member of the Vostok family of rockets.

The Vostok-K made its maiden flight on 22 December 1960, three weeks after the retirement of the Vostok-L. The third stage engine failed 425 seconds after launch, and the payload, a Korabl-Sputnik spacecraft, failed to reach orbit. The spacecraft was recovered after landing, and the two dogs aboard the spacecraft survived the flight.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Vostok-K” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.