Reason for Russian cosmonaut's removal from SpaceX mission: What we know

A Russian cosmonaut has been removed from NASA and SpaceX's planned mission to the International Space Station, known as Crew-12. Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, confirmed the change, announcing that Andrei Fedyayev will take the place of veteran cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, though the agency did not provide an official explanation.

Reports from independent Russian sources suggest that Artemyev may have breached U.S. security regulations during training in the United States, allegedly photographing sensitive SpaceX documents and technology. Roscosmos only stated that Artemyev has been reassigned to another role.

Crew-12 Mission Overview

The Crew-12 mission, scheduled for early 2026, will transport four international astronauts to the ISS for approximately six months of scientific work. In addition to Fedyayev, French ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot is reportedly part of the crew. Two NASA astronauts are also expected to join the mission but have not yet been publicly announced.

As part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, SpaceX will launch the astronauts aboard a Dragon crew capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center. This program allows NASA to outsource crewed flights to the ISS while focusing on Artemis lunar missions and future crewed journeys to Mars. NASA is also working to certify Boeing's Starliner as a second operational vehicle for ISS missions.

Context for Artemyev's Removal

The removal of Artemyev comes shortly after an incident at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where the launch pad was damaged following the Soyuz MS-28 mission on November 27, 2025. That launch carried NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev to the ISS. The damaged pad must be repaired before any additional Russian missions can proceed.

Current ISS Crew

The ISS currently hosts ten astronauts and cosmonauts. NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky are scheduled to return to Earth on December 8, 2025. Their replacements from Soyuz MS-28, including Chris Williams, Sergey Mikaev, and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, have recently arrived. Crew-11 astronauts, including NASAs Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, continue their six-month mission aboard the ISS.

Author: Ethan Caldwell