Russian Cosmonaut Removed From SpaceX's Crew 12 ISS Mission, And It's Clear Why

A Russian cosmonaut scheduled to fly on the next trip to the International Space Station with SpaceX has been removed, apparently for violating U.S. national security regulations. As reported by Russian news outlet The Insider on December 2, Oleg Artemyev from Roscosmos allegedly used his phone to photograph restricted SpaceX documentation, as well as engine designs and other sensitive details during his training visit to the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California. That mission, SpaceX Crew-12, is meant to be a four-person launch happening sometime around February 2026, with Artemyev now replaced by cosmonaut Andrey Fedyayev. The mission will launch from the SpaceX Florida facility, carrying Fedyayev and three others, including two NASA astronauts.

Initially, Russian Roscosmos officials made the statement that the removal had to do with Artemyev's "transfer to another job," a claim that contradicts what The Insider report alleges. If Artemyev did steal information, it would be a violation of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations Act, a law meant to prevent the dissemination of classified information and technology.

This incident comes at a time when Russia's only launchpad for manned missions was accidentally destroyed. Experts say that it could take up to two years to repair and restore it, which would mean the country's manned space flight launches are out of the question until the repairs are completed. Russia's rocket engine development is also falling behind, despite the country historically being a trailblazer in space exploration.

If we consider that The Insider reports contradicting Roscosmos are accurate, the pictures Artemyev captured could be viewed as the stealing of proprietary assets from SpaceX, a United States entity, which could raise concerns about espionage. The Insider also reports that Artemyev potentially "removed materials from the base" — meaning the SpaceX headquarters. Either way, that doesn't bode well for U.S.-Russian relations in future space missions. When NASA decommissions the International Space Station in 2030, this infraction could pose a risk to ongoing international efforts.

While the recent SpaceX breach appears to have been done by a single actor, there is a precedent for Russian information theft. Russian state-sponsored cyber criminal hacking groups have been linked to major cyber attacks recently by the U.S. Department of Justice. However, as of now, there is no confirmation of links between Artemyev's actions and the Russian government.