Home / Science / Russian Cosmonaut Expelled Over ITAR Violation Allegations
Russian Cosmonaut Expelled Over ITAR Violation Allegations
4 Dec
Summary
- Cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev removed from SpaceX mission for alleged ITAR violations.
- Artemyev reportedly photographed classified documents and rocket equipment.
- ITAR violations can lead to severe penalties, including hefty fines and prison.
Veteran Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, 54, has been removed from the planned SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in early 2026. The alleged reason for his removal is a violation of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) after reportedly photographing classified documents and rocket equipment at a SpaceX facility in California. His replacement, Andrey Fedyaev, was announced by Roscosmos with a stated reason of a transfer to another job.
However, reports suggest a more serious breach of ITAR, which tightly controls the export of defense-related technologies. Artemyev allegedly photographed sensitive SpaceX materials and transmitted them on his phone, an act that could be considered espionage if done with intent to benefit a foreign government. An international investigation is reportedly underway, and Artemyev has allegedly been expelled from the United States.
Violating ITAR can result in fines exceeding $1 million per violation and up to 20 years in prison for espionage. If proven, this incident could also lead to increased monitoring of cosmonauts during joint missions with NASA and strain international space cooperation. The SpaceX Crew-12 mission is scheduled to launch in early 2026.
