Vitaly Melnikov was a Russian space scientist. He died about two weeks after the failure of the Luna 25 mission.
A top rocket scientist has died about two weeks after the crash of a Russian lunar probe. Vitaly Melnikov is said to have succumbed to mushroom poisoning. There have been a series of mysterious or suspicious deaths in Russia over the past two years, since Vladimir Putin began preparing his war in Ukraine.
Nearly 50 years after Moscow’s last successful lunar mission, the Luna-25 probe, weighing nearly 800 kilograms, crashed onto the lunar surface nearly two weeks ago. Luna-25 was supposed to be the first spacecraft to land on the Moon’s south pole and remain on the Moon for at least a year to collect and analyze soil samples. With the mission, Russia wanted to build on the Soviet Union’s previous successes in the field of space travel. The fact that the mission failed will likely be particularly irritating for Russia, as Luna-25 was an object of prestige for the Putin government.
A Russian rocket scientist died of “mushroom poisoning” after the failed moon landing, according to reports. Professor Vitaly Melnikov (77) headed the rocket and space systems department at RSC Energia, Moscow’s leading spacecraft manufacturer.
Space explorer admitted to hospital
The source of his poisoning is said to be inedible mushrooms, according to a “preliminary version”. This is reported by the Russian daily newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets”. Doctors were no longer able to save the top scientist after battling “severe poisoning” for around two weeks.
Another space researcher who may have been more closely involved in the Luna mission, Mikhail Marov (90), had already been admitted to hospital. Their health “deteriorated markedly” after the crash of the Luna 25 probe. Marov and Melnikov are and were at an age when illnesses can appear suddenly, but the chronology raises questions. So either they were both unlucky at the same time, or there is a system behind it.
Mysterious deaths are increasing
There have been a series of mysterious or suspicious deaths in Russia over the past two years, since Vladimir Putin began preparing his war in Ukraine.
Putin is even proud to preside over a “mafia” state in which murder is a means of defeating enemies and keeping his restless allies in line, experts and Kremlin critics say. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is the latest of at least 40 high-profile deaths linked to Putin’s hand.
Browsing account 20 minutes Time09/03/2023, 3:43 pm | Act: September 3, 2023, 3:43 pm