Russian space robot removed from Twitter after accusing human cosmonauts of being drunk in space

Gun-toting, car-driving, weightlifting Fedor the robonaut said: ‘My opinion of people is low’

Fedor is capable of shooting two guns at a time with deadly accuracy

A Russian-built humanoid robot that flew to the International Space Station (ISS) has been removed from Twitter after insulting former cosmonauts and accusing them of drinking in space.

The space robot Fedor (Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research) served aboard the ISS for 10 days in August but was sent back to Earth after it proved incapable of performing a space walk.

Prior to its mission to the space station, former Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin shared videos of Fedor appearing to show it driving a car, lifting weights and shooting guns.

The life-sized robot, who is officially known as Skybot F-850, had an active social media presence but was abruptly removed following a barrage of tweets aimed at former cosmonauts Maxim Suraev and Alexander Samokutyayev, who now serve as lawmakers.

“Robots, unlike Suraev and Samokutyaev, are not susceptible to weaknesses, do not violate the dry law at the orbital station, do not speak nonsense, complete the flight task completely and without comment and do not seek to leave the cosmonaut corps for a place in the State Duma,” Fedor’s account tweeted.

“My opinion of people is low,” it added.

The controversy comes amid a public dispute between former members of Russia’s Roscosmos space program and Mr Rogozin, who now serves as its head.

The former cosmonauts have publicly criticised Mr Rogozin’s leadership, claiming it has contributed to Roscosmos falling behind the US space program.

One of the targets of Fedor’s Twitter outburst, Mr Suraev, shared an image on Twitter comparing the interior of a SpaceX craft and a Russian-built craft.

Mr Rogozin is active on Twitter, often taking swipes at opponents. Following speculation that he was the one behind Fedor’s tweetstorm, Mr Rogozin denied that he or any state worker had anything to do with it. He has previously suggested that the robot used Twitter on its own.

“This is not a question for us, you need to contact Fedor and write to him,” he told reporters. 

The Independent has reached out to Mr Rogozin’s office for comment.

Mr Samokutyaev, the other former cosmonaut targeted by Fedor’s Twitter account, told Russian media this week that he intends to go to court over the Twitter posts.

“I am outraged because of this insult,” he told the publication Rise. “I will go to court, I will not let this go, and Maxim Suraev too. We are heroes of Russia… This is a matter jurisdiction.”

He also noted that alcohol is not permitted aboard the ISS.