SpaceX has removed a Russian cosmonaut from an upcoming mission to the International Space Station over national security concerns, according to a report.

Oleg Artemyev, who was supposed to be part of a four-person crew scheduled to launch in February, allegedly took photos of SpaceX rocket engines and classified documentation, The Insider reported.

The 54-year-old has been part of three previous missions to the ISS, most recently in 2022, spending a total of 560 days in space.

“It’s hard to imagine an experienced cosmonaut making such a serious mistake unintentionally,” space industry analyst Georgy Trishkin told the publication.

Russian space agency Roscosmos said in a statement published on Telegram that a “decision was made due to Oleg Artemyev's transfer to another job”.

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