FROM DAILY MAIL: A veteran Russian astronaut has been removed from an upcoming NASA mission after allegedly violating an international arms trafficking law.
Oleg Artemyev is said to have been accused of photographing classified documents and rocket equipment at a SpaceX facility in Hawthorne, California, and then ‘smuggling’ that information out of the building on his phone in late November.
The 54-year-old was scheduled to be part of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, led by NASA, heading to the International Space Station (ISS) in early 2026.
Russian reports allege that Artemyev violated the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) by photographing and leaking the SpaceX materials.
Russia’s The Insider reports that an international probe has been launched.
The alleged incident may not have been an effort to harm the US. Still, Artemyev’s act may constitute espionage if proven to be for a foreign government’s advantage.
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