French prosecutors charged four suspects on February 5 with espionage after discovering a sophisticated satellite interception setup in Gironde. Two Chinese nationals, allegedly posing as wireless communications engineers, face up to 15 years for "delivery of information to a foreign power harming national interests."
The operation came to light January 30 when residents reported a conspicuous 2-meter satellite dish during local internet outages. Investigators found computers and satellite equipment configured to intercept communications from Starlink and other critical entities, with data allegedly bound for Beijing. Two suspects remain in custody, two under judicial supervision.
The case underscores a persistent vulnerability in satellite infrastructure: ground stations remain the weakest link. While space-to-ground encryption has improved, physical access to receiving equipment bypasses those controls entirely. The Airbnb rental demonstrates how commodity infrastructure and civilian access can enable state-sponsored collection.
This follows a December 2025 case where French prosecutors charged a professor for facilitating Chinese access to sensitive sites, part of a broader pattern of European counterintelligence concerns. For enterprise satellite operators and defense contractors, the incident reinforces established guidance: ground station security requires the same rigor as data center operations, including personnel vetting, physical access controls, and continuous monitoring for unauthorized equipment.
The alleged perpetrators' cover as legitimate engineers highlights insider threat vectors. CISA's insider threat assessment framework, already mandatory for critical infrastructure operators in the US, applies equally to satellite ground operations. The question isn't whether state actors are targeting commercial satellite infrastructure. This case answers that. The question is whether operators have the personnel security and monitoring programs to detect it before data leaves the facility.
Starlink has not commented on the specifics. The investigation continues.