SpaceX excludes Russian cosmonaut from mission following reported security violation

SpaceX has withdrawn a Russian cosmonaut from a scheduled International Space Station mission following concerns related to national security. Oleg Artemyev, initially slated to join a four-member crew set to launch in February, is reported to have photographed SpaceX rocket engines and other sensitive materials, according to The Insider.

The 54-year-old Artemyev has previously completed three ISS missions, most recently in 2022, accumulating a total of 560 days in space. Its difficult to believe that a seasoned cosmonaut would make such a significant error unintentionally, commented space industry expert Georgy Trishkin.

Roscosmos announced on Telegram that Artemyevs removal resulted from his reassignment to another role, without providing further details. The agency described him as a hero of Russia. NASA and SpaceX have not yet issued statements regarding the change.

Cosmonaut Andrei Fedyayev will replace Artemyev for the Crew-12 mission, which is planned to launch no earlier than February 15, with the crew expected to spend six months aboard the ISS.

Meanwhile, Russia recently lost its ability to conduct crewed launches after the Baikonur Cosmodromes primary launchpad suffered substantial damage during the Soyuz MS-28 launch on November 27. The structure partially collapsed into an exhaust trench, rendering it unusable until repairs are completed. Roscosmos has stated that assessments are ongoing and that all necessary components for restoration are available.

This marks the first instance since 1961 that Russia cannot launch a crewed mission independently.

Author: Aiden Foster