NASA has removed a veteran Russian astronaut from its upcoming space mission after he was accused of leaking classified documents. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, 54, is accused of taking photos of classified documents and rocket equipment at a SpaceX facility in California in late November and then distributing the photos via his phone.
Astronaut Oleg Artemyev, who was scheduled to fly on NASA’s SpaceX Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station in early 2026, has been replaced by Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The Russian state space agency Roscosmos said the change was due to Artemyev’s job transfer.
The leaked SpaceX photos taken by Artemyev are a serious violation of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, a U.S. government regulation that regulates the export or disclosure of technology, information, spacecraft components, and technical designs.
Russian investigative outlet The Insider reported that an international investigation has been launched into Artemyev’s actions. It is not currently believed that the incident was intended to harm the United States. If proven in the future, Artemyev could be charged with espionage.
The veteran astronaut committed serious violations of the law, said space industry analyst Georgy Trishkin. If investigators find him guilty, he could face both civil and criminal penalties. He was replaced without any official announcement from NASA or SpaceX. Since Artemyev was removed less than three months into the Crew-12 mission, the charges against him seem credible.
