Vladimir Nesterov, who designed the Russian Angara rocket, was accused of massive embezzlement just before his death aged 74.
The man who made Putin's dreams of space exploration possible with the creation of the "world's best" rocket pads was under a cloud of suspicion this year.
Formerly the director of Russia's prestigious Khrunichev Centre, Nesterov was the brains behind the Angara rockets, which Putin hoped to use to pioneer Russian space travel.
Russia's first manned mission to the moon is in development, off the back of Nesterov's designs.
But the later years of his life have been dogged by allegations of fraud and embezzlement.
A criminal case was first launched in 2014 and led to Nesterov being detained under house arrest.
Putin's authorities accused him of pocketing more than £57m as part of the crime.
But his embezzlement case hadn't reached court at the time of his death.
Previously, the former director was seen internationally as a leader in his field and hailed the Angara as the "world's best" rocket system.
