NASA Scandal: Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev removed from crew for photographing SpaceX classified materials
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev has been removed from the Crew-12 mission crew just a few months before its scheduled launch to the ISS. The news was reported by launch analyst Georgy Trishkin, who noted that Artemyev will be replaced by Andrey Fedyaev.
According to Trishkin’s sources, the reason was a violation of U.S. ITAR export restrictions: Artemyev allegedly took photos of SpaceX documentation and internal materials and carried classified data out on his personal phone. In a comment to The Insider, the expert clarified that an interagency investigation has already begun. Trishkin emphasized that such a late removal from the flight “without clear explanation” is an indirect but telling sign of a serious violation.
The analyst also claims that NASA is trying to prevent the incident from becoming public. Meanwhile, the Telegram channel “Yura, forgive us!” reports that Artemyev was pulled from the mission last week while undergoing training at the SpaceX facility in Hawthorne, California. There, he allegedly photographed engines and other internal company materials and then carried them off the premises.
Oleg Artemyev is 54 years old. According to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, he has flown to space three times and spent 560 days in orbit. Since 2019, he has also served as a Moscow City Duma deputy from the ruling United Russia party.
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