Federal agents arrested a Chinese national, Yinpiao Zhou, 39, on December 9 at San Francisco International Airport for allegedly flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The incident occurred on November 30, coinciding with a sensitive SpaceX launch for the National Reconnaissance Office. Zhou was apprehended while attempting to board a flight to China, according to the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.
Zhou faces charges of failing to register a drone and violating national defense airspace, as outlined in a criminal complaint filed in Santa Barbara County federal court. He is scheduled to appear in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday, said Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office.
Court documents allege that Zhou operated a DJI Mavic 2 drone, weighing approximately two pounds, from Ocean Park near Vandenberg Space Force Base. The drone was flown over the base for 59 minutes, during which it captured aerial photographs of SpaceX rocket pads and other sensitive areas.
“A review of the contents of the Drone SD Card showed several photographs of [the base] taken from an aerial viewpoint,” federal officials wrote in the complaint.
The complaint further states that Zhou had installed software enabling the drone to bypass altitude restrictions in national security airspace.
Federal agents allege that Zhou conducted a Google search for “Vandenberg Space Force Base Drone Rules” on December 8. Additionally, his phone contained messages on the Chinese social media app WeChat from October discussing the drone photography, authorities claim.
When questioned, Zhou reportedly admitted to federal agents that photographing the SpaceX facility “was probably not a good idea.”
SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, regularly launches Falcon 9 rockets from Vandenberg Space Force Base, including missions under the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 program for the US Space Force. The November 30 launch at 3:10 a.m. successfully deployed a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office.
C-UAS defenses called into question
Zhou’s arrest comes at a time when concerns over drone activity near US military installations are running high. Over the past two months, unexplained drone sightings have been reported over US bases in the UK, prompting calls for action.
Congressman Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey expressed frustration on Monday, stating:
“The safety and privacy of our residents must be a top priority, and right now, both are being put at risk.”
Kean urged federal agencies to allocate more resources to investigate and address the issue. Further investigations into Zhou’s activities and intentions are ongoing.
Post Image Credit: SpaceX
