Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev removed from Crew-12 mission Over SpaceX document breach

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev has been removed from the Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), just a few months before launch, following allegations that he photographed confidential SpaceX materials.

According to Russian rocket launch analyst Georgy Trishkin, Artemyev was excluded for violating US export restrictions under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

Sources cited by Trishkin claim the cosmonaut took photographs of SpaceX documentation and internal hardware using his mobile phone and later took the data off the premises.

Speaking to The Insider, Trishkin said an interagency investigation had reportedly been launched. He added that the decision to remove Artemyev two and a half months before the mission, without an official explanation at the time, was a strong indirect indication that a serious breach had occurred.

Trishkin also claimed that NASA was reluctant for details of the incident to become public. The Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre’s website has since been updated to list Andrey Fedyayev as a member of the main Crew-12 team in Artemyev’s place.

Later on December 2, Roscosmos confirmed that Fedyayev had been added to the primary crew. In a brief statement, the Russian space agency said the decision had been taken due to Artemyev’s “transition to another role”, without addressing the allegations.

Telegram channel “Yura, forgive us!”, which reports on spaceflight, stated that Artemyev, who had been training at SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California, was suspended last week. The channel claimed he had photographed SpaceX engines and other internal materials before removing the data from the site.

Oleg Artemyev, 54, has completed three space missions and spent a total of 560 days in orbit. Since 2019, he has also served as a deputy in the Moscow City Duma and is a member of the ruling United Russia party.

By Aghakazim Guliyev