Putin scientist told of his ‘last hope’ before being mysteriously hospitalised following doomed Luna-25 moon landing
A SCIENTIST who worked on Russia’s failed moon mission spoke of his “last hope” to see the spacecraft landing before being mysteriously rushed to the hospital.
Astronomer Mikhail Marov, 90, reportedly a key consultant on the mission, suffered a “sharp deterioration” in his health following the humiliating moon crash.
Moscow’s first moon mission in 50 years ended up in a disaster after the Luna-25 probe crashed into the lunar surface after spinning out of control.
The respected physicist and astronomer was devastated over the failed landing as he considered the mission the culmination of his life’s work.
He described it as his “last hope to see the revival of our lunar programme.”
He said: “It’s sad that we didn’t manage to land the device.”
The unmanned spacecraft was smashed into pieces after it crashed on the surface of the moon.
The craft “switched to an off-design orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface,” said the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
Russia had hoped that the robot would spend a year collecting samples of rock and dust.
Academic Marov demanded no cover-up of the reasons for the failure.
He said: “There was a mistake in the algorithms for launching into near-lunar orbit. It must be found.
“For the specialists who will be involved in the work of the commission, this will not be a big problem.
“I think the answer will be found in the foreseeable future.”
The 90-year-old made it clear that the failed mission was the reason behind his hospitalisation in Moscow’s elite Central Clinical Hospital (TsKB).
Speaking from the hospital, he said: “I am under observation.
“How can I not worry? This has been very much a matter of my life. It’s all very hard.”
Russia must return to space and landing on the moon, he demanded.
Marov, had previously worked on space missions for the Soviet Union.
Russia was once a pioneer in space exploration, making history in 1961 when astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel in space.
Marov was also part of the team, led by Sergei Korolev, one of the engineers behind the world’s first intercontinental ballistic missile.
Recalled the nail-biting moment of the launch, during the Cold War, Marov told the Guardian in 2011: “After the launch, there was complete silence in mission control apart from an operator repeating, every 30 seconds, that ‘the flight is normal.’
“Then he announced the ship had reached orbit and there was huge shout of joy.”
Marov said the time until Gagarin landed back safely seemed “like eternity,” but when the news broke out crowds of people filled Moscow’s streets.
“They looked like surging seas,” he said.
“I have never seen such enthusiasm of ordinary people. They took Gagarin’s triumph as a personal victory.”