Gagarin's launch vehicle

Vostok 1, launched on April 12, 1961, was powered by the Vostok-K rocket, a Soviet space launch vehicle. This rocket was a two-stage design, combining a core booster with additional engines to propel the spacecraft into orbit. It used liquid fuel for both stages, allowing precise control during ascent. The Vostok-K was reliable and capable of delivering the small, lightweight Vostok spacecraft—including Yuri Gagarin—into space, marking humanity's first human orbital flight. Its design set the foundation for future crewed missions by ensuring stable and controlled access to low Earth orbit.