Mitrofan Nedelin

Common card · No. 398572

Mitrofan Ivanovich Nedelin (Russian: Митрофа́н Ива́нович Неде́лин; 9 November [O.S. 27 October] 1902 – 24 October 1960) was a Soviet military commander who served as Chief Marshal of the Artillery in the Soviet Armed Forces. He oversaw the development of the Soviet ballistic missile program and was appointed as the first Commander of the Strategic Rocket Forces from 1959 until his death. A long-time member of the Red Army, Nedelin was a veteran of numerous wars and was honored as a Hero of the Soviet Union for his service during the Second World War. On 8 May 1959, Nedelin was promoted to Chief Marshal of the Artillery, and became an important program manager in the development of ICBMs and the Space Race. On 24 October 1960, Nedelin was killed in an explosion at Baikonur Cosmodrome during the eponymous Nedelin catastrophe.

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