The success of Korabl-Sputnik 5 was the final step required to get approval for a crewed mission.

Vostok 3KA-2 was the key in the door for Gagarin's flight

— James Oberg, spaceflight researcher, [9]

That crewed mission, known as Vostok 1, would occur on about April 12, 1961, carrying the world's first human space traveller, Yuri Gagarin. The spacecraft Gagarin used was a nearly identical model, called Vostok 3KA-3. A major difference between the 3KA-2 and 3KA-3 spacecraft was that the 3KA-2 version, like all uncrewed Vostok spacecraft, was equipped with a self-destruct system, in the event it reentered the atmosphere over foreign territory.[10]

2011 Auction

The re-entry module of the spacecraft Vostok 3KA-2 was auctioned at Sotheby's on 12 April 2011, the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's spaceflight, Vostok 1.[11] The spacecraft was expected to sell for USD 2–10 million,[11] and was sold for US$2,882,500.

2020 COVID-19 Vaccine

On August 11th, 2020 the Russian government announced the world's first release of a vaccine against COVID-19, referring to the vaccine as "Sputnik V" (Gam-COVID-Vac) to reflect Russia's previous victories in the Space Race.[12]