Chinese citizen arrested for flying drone over US Space Force base
Yinpiao Zhou is alleged to have recorded images of the Vandenberg military facility, where missions, including those by SpaceX, are launched
A Chinese citizen has been charged with flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base in California where he is alleged to have recorded images of the military facility, the US Justice Department said Wednesday.
Yinpiao Zhou, 39, was arrested as he readied to board a flight to China from San Francisco, authorities said.
“This defendant allegedly flew a drone over a military base and took photos of the base’s layout, which is against the law,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said.
“The security of our nation is of paramount importance and my office will continue to promote the safety of our nation’s military personnel and facilities.”
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said she was “not aware of the situation” when asked about the case at a regular press briefing on Thursday.
Charging documents say detection systems at Vandenberg tracked a drone as it flew about 1.6km (one mile) above the facility in late November.
Security personnel at the base, which is the launch site for space missions – including Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets – as well as missile tests, traced the drone to a nearby public park where they allegedly found Zhou with the device concealed in his jacket.
