What critical development hobbled the Soviet lunar program following the death of Sergei Korolev?
Answer
Intensified infighting and waning political will
Sergei Korolev, as the chief architect, held significant authority, allowing him to marshal resources and enforce cooperation among the otherwise competing design bureaus within the Soviet space effort. His death in January 1966 removed this singular, centralized authority. In the subsequent vacuum, the existing rivalries between engineering groups intensified dramatically, leading to a decrease in the necessary political commitment and centralized focus required to efficiently integrate the complex N1-L3 lunar system.
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