Why Russia Removed a Cosmonaut From SpaceX’s Crew‑12 Mission — What We Know

Why Oleg Artemyev Was Replaced On Crew‑12

Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, has announced that veteran cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev will not fly on the upcoming NASA–SpaceX Crew‑12 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Roscosmos said Artemyev was reassigned to another post and named fellow cosmonaut Andrei Fedyayev as his replacement, but the agency did not provide further explanation.

Allegations From Independent Reports

Independent Russian outlet The Insider reported that Artemyev is accused of violating U.S. security rules while training in the United States by photographing sensitive SpaceX documents and hardware. That account was amplified on Russian spaceflight Telegram channels and cited by other outlets such as Space.com and Gizmodo. Neither Roscosmos nor NASA has publicly confirmed those allegations at the time of reporting.

What Crew‑12 Will Do

Crew‑12 is planned as a multinational, roughly six‑month science rotation to the ISS, with a reported launch window in early 2026 (media reports have cited February from Florida). The mission will be flown under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and a Dragon crew capsule. The flight is expected to carry four international crew members, including two yet‑to‑be‑announced NASA astronauts and reported crewmembers such as Andrei Fedyayev and ESA’s Sophie Adenot.

Context: Tensions and Technical Issues

Artemyev’s removal comes amid other recent challenges for the Russian space program. Following the Soyuz MS‑28 launch on Nov. 27, inspections at the Baikonur Cosmodrome revealed damage to a launch pad; Russian agencies said the damage was identified during an inspection and expected to be repaired, though repairs could delay subsequent launches.

Current Station Activity

At the time of reporting, about ten people were aboard the ISS. Several crew rotations were underway: NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky were scheduled to return to Earth on Dec. 8 after arriving in April on Soyuz MS‑27. Newer arrivals include NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russians Sergey Mikaev and Sergey Kud‑Sverchkov. The four Crew‑11 astronauts — Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui (JAXA), and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov — remain on station until relieved by the next Crew rotation.

Note: Reporting on Artemyev’s conduct stems from independent Russian sources and has not been confirmed by Roscosmos or NASA. Details may evolve as agencies release more information.

This article synthesizes reporting from Roscosmos statements, independent Russian outlets, NASA, and international coverage.