Russian cosmonaut with 560 days of space time kicked off ISS mission for taking photos of SpaceX tech: Report
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Russian cosmonaut with 560 days of space time kicked off ISS mission for taking photos of SpaceX tech: Report")
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev kicked out of ISS mission for taking SpaceX tech photos and forwarding them. Photograph: (NASA)
A Russian cosmonaut has allegedly been removed from SpaceX's Crew 12 flight to the ISS after he was found taking pictures of SpaceX engines and other sensitive technology. Meanwhile, Roscosmos has presented a different version and reason for the decision.
Oleg Artemyev, a Russian cosmonaut scheduled to fly to the International Space Station in February 2026, has been replaced by Andrei Fedyayev. This was reportedly done after Oleg was found violating US national security regulations, "photographing SpaceX documentation" and then exporting the "classified information" using his phone. While Roscosmos said in a statement that Oleg was switched out because he was transferred to another job, according to Russian investigative site The Insider, this is not the real reason. Roscosmos officials said on December 2 in a statement that "the decision was made in connection with Oleg Artemyev’s transfer to another job." He was part of SpaceX's Crew 12, a four-person mission to the ISS.
The Insider reported that the 54-year-old was removed for violations of ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations). The law seeks to safeguard national security by restricting the dissemination of sensitive information and technology. "The cosmonaut allegedly photographed SpaceX documentation and then 'used his phone' to export classified information," The Insider wrote in Russian, citing Gregory Trishkin, a launch analyst.
Also Read: After Baikonur accident, could Russia choose to abandon the ISS? Here's what it said in the past
A Telegram channel and a launch analyst cited the same reason for Russian cosmonaut's removal
Trishkin told the publication, "My contacts confirm that a violation occurred and an interdepartmental investigation has been launched." He added that removing someone two and a half months before a mission without giving a proper reason is an "indirect sign." "It's very difficult to imagine a situation in which an experienced cosmonaut could inadvertently commit such a gross violation," he added. A Russian spaceflight channel on Telegram called "Yura, Forgive Me!" also reported the matter on December 1, stating that Artemyev committed the transgression last week when he was training at SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California. He is alleged to have taken photos of SpaceX engines and other sensitive tech with his phone.
Artemyev has been to the ISS three times, spending several months at the space laboratory each time. He has recorded a total of 560 days in space after taking the trips in March 2014, March 2018 and March 2022.
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