A Russian cosmonaut has been removed from the upcoming SpaceX Crew 12 mission due to violations of U.S. national security regulations. According to reports, Oleg Artemyev had been part of the four-person team scheduled to launch towards the International Space Station (ISS) as early as February 15, 2024. He will be replaced by fellow cosmonaut Andrei Fedyayev, as confirmed by officials from Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos.
While Roscosmos stated that Artemyev was transferred to another job, the investigation into his removal suggests a more serious issue. According to the Russian investigative outlet The Insider, Artemyev, aged 54, allegedly violated the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), a U.S. law aimed at protecting national security by limiting the sharing of sensitive information and technology. The report claims that Artemyev photographed SpaceX documents and transmitted classified information using his phone.
Gregory Trishkin, a launch analyst, confirmed to The Insider that an interdepartmental investigation is underway. He remarked, “My contacts confirm that a violation occurred,” adding that the timing of Artemyev’s removal—just two and a half months before the mission—indicates the severity of the situation. Trishkin emphasized that it is hard to believe an experienced cosmonaut would unintentionally commit such a significant breach of protocol.
The violations reportedly took place while Artemyev was training at SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California, last week. He allegedly captured images of SpaceX engines and other sensitive technology with his mobile device.
Crew 12 represents the 12th operational astronaut mission that SpaceX will conduct for NASA. The mission includes a crew of four, among them Fedyayev and Sophie Adenot from the European Space Agency (ESA), with two additional astronauts yet to be named.
Artemyev has extensive experience in space travel, having spent a total of 560 days in space across three prior long-duration missions to the ISS, with launches occurring in March 2014, March 2018, and March 2022. His last flight took place shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sparked ongoing conflict in the region. In July 2022, photos surfaced of Artemyev and two cosmonaut colleagues on the ISS, holding flags of Russian-backed separatist territories in Ukraine. This incident drew condemnation from NASA and the head of the ESA, who stressed that the ISS should not serve as a platform for wartime propaganda.
As the situation continues to unfold, SpaceX and NASA have yet to comment on Artemyev’s removal from Crew 12. The mission is still on track for launch, with the crew expected to spend approximately six months aboard the ISS.