US EditionRussian Cosmonaut Removed From SpaceX Mission Amid Security Breach
Oleg Artemyev was replaced after allegedly violating US export controls by photographing sensitive SpaceX materials at their California facility, affecting Crew-12 mission plans.
- On December 2, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev was removed from SpaceX's Crew‑12 and replaced by Andrey Fedyaev after The Insider reported alleged photos of confidential SpaceX materials.
- At SpaceX's Hawthorne, California facility, Artemyev allegedly photographed engines and sensitive tech last week during training, raising potential ITAR violations.
- The Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center now lists Andrey Fedyaev in Crew‑12, and Roscosmos officials said the swap was linked to Artemyev's transfer to another job.
- SpaceX and NASA have not publicly commented on the reported investigation, and Crew‑12 remains scheduled to launch on February 15, 2026, a timeline commentators say makes last‑minute roster changes notable.
- His past ISS photo op drew condemnation from NASA and ESA, and Artemyev has completed three spaceflights totaling 560 days in orbit, serving as a Moscow City Duma deputy since 2019.
23 Articles
23 Articles
The cosmonaut was scheduled to visit the International Space Station in February 2026, during SpaceX's Crew-12 mission.
The veteran Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, with more than 560 days accumulated in missions to the ISS, has been withdrawn from the mission that SpaceX was preparing for February 2026. Officially, the Russian space agency Roscosmos, on its Telegram channel, the change as “a transfer to another post.” But the reality could be more serious: Artemyev would have violated US security laws by photographing SpaceX’s restricted documentation. What exac…
Oleg Artémiev is part of the elite of Russian cosmonauts, but he has been removed from what was to be his fourth trip to space for a beginner infraction. Or, if the accusations are finally true, for something more serious: spying on the United States. The scientist was one of the four members of the SpaceX Crew-12 flight. His mission, to travel from February 15 to the International Space Station along with two astronauts from NASA and another fr…
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