Oleg Artemyev, a cosmonaut with Russia’s space agency, has been replaced on the upcoming SpaceX Crew-12 mission, Roscosmos announced.
A Russian cosmonaut was recently booted from an upcoming NASA and SpaceX mission to the International Space Station.
Russia’s space agency confirmed the spacefarer’s removal and replacement on the mission, known as Crew-12, but did not provide a reason. However, multiple reports have suggested the move could be related to an alleged national security violation during training in the United States.
Due to launch early in 2026, the Crew-12 mission could send a contingent of international astronauts – including two Americans – for a six-month science rotation at the International Space Station.
Here’s what to know about Crew-12 and the recent replacement of one of the mission’s crew members.
Russian cosmonaut removed from SpaceX Crew-12
Oleg Artemyev, a veteran cosmonaut with Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, was supposed to launch to the International Space Station as one of four crew members on the upcoming SpaceX mission known as Crew-12. But Roscosmos announced Tuesday, Dec. 2, that Artemyev had been replaced by fellow cosmonaut Andrei Fedyayev.
Roscosmos did not address the reason for Artemyev’s removal from the mission, only stating that he was transferred to another job. The USA TODAY Network left a message Friday, Dec. 5, with NASA seeking more information.
However, a report from The Insider, an independent Russian investigative news outlet, suggests that Artemyev is accused of violating U.S. national security regulations by photographing sensitive SpaceX documents and technology during training. Insider further cited a report from a Russian spaceflight Telegram channel furthering the claims.
Multiple outlets, including Space.com and Gizmodo, cited the Russian reports.
What is the NASA, SpaceX Crew-12 mission? When will it launch?
As the name suggests, Crew-12 will be NASA and SpaceX’s 11th human science expedition to the International Space Station.
The mission, which is due to launch in February from Florida, will include four international spacefarers, including two still unannounced NASA astronauts. In addition to Fedyayev, Artemyev’s replacement, French astronaut Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency is also reportedly a crew member on the mission.
The missions, most of which last about six months, are contracted under NASA’s commercial crew program. The program allows the space agency to pay SpaceX to launch and transport astronauts and cargo to orbit aboard the company’s own vehicles, freeing up NASA to focus on its Artemis lunar program and other spaceflight missions, including future crewed voyages to Mars.
SpaceX uses its Falcon 9 rocket – one of the most active in the world – to launch the crew missions from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The astronauts themselves ride a Dragon crew capsule – the only U.S. spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts to and from the space station – that separates from the rocket in orbit.
NASA is also hoping to certify Boeing’s Starliner capsule to add a second operational vehicle for missions to the ISS before the station is retired by 2030.
Russian launch pad damaged
Artemyev’s removal from the mission is the latest recent blow to Russia’s spaceflight program after the nation’s launch pad was damaged at the end of November.
The launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome was damaged after a Roscosmos capsule, known as Soyuz MS-28, launched Thursday, Nov. 27. The launch helped to propel a crew of three, including a NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts, to the International Space Station for an eight-month stay.
Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, was quoted in Russian news agencies as saying damage was observed after an inspection of the launch area, and that it was expected to be repaired quickly, Reuters reported.
Until that time, any of Russian’s missions to the International Space Station would have to be put on hold.
Who is on the International Space Station?
Ten people are living and working about the International Space Station, but that will soon change.
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, who reached the ISS in April on a Soyuz MS-27 capsule, are due to depart Monday, Dec. 8, for a landing in remote Kazakhstan, according to NASA. Their impending return to Earth would come less than two weeks after their replacements arrived on the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft.
Those three spacefarers – NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russians Sergey Mikaev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov – are the newest additions at the orbital laboratory.
Also on the station are four astronauts who are part of the joint NASA and SpaceX mission known as Crew-11. Among them are NASA astronaut Zena Cardman; NASA astronaut Mike Fincke; Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA); and Russian Oleg Platonov, a Roscosmos cosmonaut.
Crew-11 launched Aug. 1 from the Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida, as the spacefarers made their venture to space aboard a Dragon capsule that was propelled into orbit atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The four Crew-11 astronauts would ultimately be replaced by the Crew-12 contingent.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com