To mature mass and operating characteristics of rocket R-1, its designers proposed to use an integral fuel tank and a warhead separated from the rocket at the ascent phase completion. In this case, only the ascent phase appeared to be rated for the launch vehicle and considerably more favorable regarding mechanical and thermal loads as compared to the atmospheric portion of the descent phase of the flight trajectory. To verify experimentally those new ideas, mainly to investigate peculiar features of the warhead separation process at the ascent phase completion, rocket R-1A has been developed. However, since many organizations showed interest in using the new rocket for their purposes, the experiment program fell far beyond the original plan.
Rocket R-1A became the first rocket to carry science equipment in recoverable containers to upper atmospheric layers (the containers were located in a section of the rocket stabilizers). The solution to separate the warhead turned to be so good that it was employed in all subsequent domestic rockets.