August 4, 2000
Rob Navias
Johnson Space Center, Houston
Phone: 281/483-5111
The Harris County Coroner's post mortem exam regarding the death of Russian national Evgeny Mironov last Wednesday has listed accidental drowning as the cause of death. There was no evidence that alcohol or drug usage was in any way connected with Mr. Mironov’s death nor was there any evidence of foul play or injury connected with this accident.
Mironov, a single 37 year-old male, was a computer systems specialist. He had reported to JSC for a 50-day assignment on Monday, July 24, just two days before the accident. He was an employee of the TsNIIMASH company, which provides ground segment support for flight control operations at TsUP, the Russian Mission Control Center, located in Korolev, just outside of Moscow.
According to Russian officials, Mironov was known as a high-level systems specialist, a mild mannered person, always ready to come to his colleague’s help.
Russian Aviation and Space Agency (Rosaviakosmos) officials in Houston are coordinating with their counterparts in Moscow. Mironov’s next of kin, his father, mother, and brother, have been notified. Management at the TsNIIMASH company has also been made aware of the accident. Mironov will be flown back to Moscow during this week.
“This is a very sad and tragic accident,” said Randy Stone, Director of Mission Operations at JSC. “For many years now, American and Russian space employees have worked hard to make the vision of the International Space Station an orbiting reality. The close knit working relationship between Americans and Russians that has grown over the last several years has created a feeling of family, so the whole space flight community feels this loss. I know I speak for everyone here at JSC in extending our prayers and sympathies to the Mironov family.”
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