Science Florida Today Russian cosmonaut removed from NASA, SpaceX mission launching in Florida

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A Russian cosmonaut was recently booted from an upcoming NASA and SpaceX mission to the International Space Station that will launch from Florida.

Russia’s space agency confirmed the spacefarer’s removal and replacement on the mission, known as Crew-12, but did not provide a reason. However, multiple reports have suggested the move could have been related to an alleged national security violation during training in the United States.

The news represents another recent blow to Russia’s spaceflight program after the launch pad the nation uses is Kazakhstan was damaged in a launch at the end of November.

Due to launch early in 2026 from Florida’s Space Coast along the Atlantic, the Crew-12 mission could send a contingent of international astronauts – including two Americans – for a six-month science rotation at the International Space Station.

Here’s what to know about Crew-12 and the recent replacement of one of the mission’s crewmembers.

Russian cosmonaut removed from SpaceX Crew-12 mission that launches from Florida

Oleg Artemyev, a cosmonaut with Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, was supposed to launch to the International Space Station as one of four crewmembers on the upcoming SpaceX mission known as Crew 12. But Roscosmos announced Tuesday, Dec. 2 that Artemyev had been replaced by fellow cosmonaut Andrei Fedyayev.

Roscosmos did not address the reason for Artemyev’s removal from the mission, only stating that he was transferred to another job. The USA TODAY Network left a message Friday, Dec. 5, with NASA seeking more information.

However, a report from The Insider, an independent Russian investigative news outlet, suggests that Artemyev is accused of violating U.S. national security regulations by photographing and “exporting” sensitive SpaceX documentation and technology during training. Insider further cited a report from a Russian spaceflight Telegram channel furthering the claims.

Multiple outlets, including Space.com and Gizmodo, cited the Russian reports.

What is the NASA, SpaceX Crew-12 mission in Florida?

As the name suggests, Crew-12 will be NASA and SpaceX’s 11th human science expedition to the International Space Station.

The mission will include four international spacefarers, including two still unannounced NASA astronauts. In addition to Fedyayev, Artemyev’s replacement, French astronaut Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency is also reportedly a crew member on the mission.

The missions, most of which last about six months, are contracted under NASA’s commercial crew program. The program allows the space agency to pay SpaceX to launch and transport astronauts and cargo to orbit aboard the company’s own vehicles, freeing up NASA to focus on its Artemis lunar program and other spaceflight missions, including future crewed voyages to Mars.

To date, all of the missions under the program have used SpaceX’s Dragon capsules to transport astronauts in orbit. NASA is also hoping to certify Boeing’s Starliner capsule to add a second operational vehicle for missions to the ISS before the station is retired by 2030.

When will SpaceX Crew-12 launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida?

The Crew-12 mission could get off the ground as early as Feb. 15, 2026, NASA said as recently as Nov. 20 in a blog post.

SpaceX uses its Falcon 9 rocket – one of the most active in the world – to launch the crew missions from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral. The astronauts themselves ride a Dragon crew capsule – the only U.S. spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts to and from the space station – that separates from the rocket in orbit.

Who is on the International Space Station?

Ten people are living and working about the International Space Station, but that will soon change.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, who reached the ISS in April on a Soyuz MS-27 capsule, are due to depart Monday, Dec. 8 for a landing in remote Kazakhstan, according to NASA. Their impending return to Earth would come less than two weeks after their replacements arrived on a Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft.

Those three spacefarers – NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russians Sergey Mikaev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov – are the newest additions at the orbital laboratory.

Also on the station are four astronauts who are part of the joint NASA and SpaceX mission known as Crew-11. Among them are NASA astronaut Zena Cardman; NASA astronaut Mike Fincke; Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA); and Russian Oleg Platonov, a Roscosmos cosmonaut.

Crew-11 launched Aug. 1 from the Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida, as the spacefarers made their venture to space aboard a Dragon capsule that was propelled into orbit atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The four Crew-11 astronauts would ultimately be replaced by the Crew-12 contingent.

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Russian cosmonaut removed from NASA, SpaceX mission ahead of Florida launch