Norwegian authorities arrested an unnamed Chinese citizen Thursday on suspicion of attempting to install a satellite-data receiver capable of collecting sensitive information, the Police Security Service (PST) said. Searches were conducted at two sites, including an island hosting Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway and a location in Innlandet. PST said the alleged receiver was seized, plans were halted, and several others have been charged as the probe continues.
Norway Arrests Chinese Citizen in Alleged Satellite Espionage Plot Near Andøya Spaceport
FILE - Police prosecutor Thomas Blom arrives in the court room before the detention hearing for a person suspected of spying for China, in Oslo, Tuesday July 2, 2024. A Norwegian citizen has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to spy for China. (Terje Bendiksby/NTB Scanpix via AP, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Norwegian authorities arrested an unnamed Chinese citizen Thursday on allegations that she attempted to set up equipment to collect sensitive satellite data, the Police Security Service (PST) said.
Investigators searched two locations linked to the probe: one on an island in northern Norway that is home to Andøya Spaceport, part of Europe’s growing space infrastructure, and another site in Innlandet in southern Norway. PST said the operation was launched after suspicions arose that a Norway-registered company may have been acting as a front for a foreign state actor.
PST said police seized the alleged satellite receiver and halted plans to install and operate it. Authorities described the case as involving "complicity in an attempt at serious espionage against state secrets." Several other people have been charged in the investigation, though PST did not provide details on their identities, nationalities or whether they have been detained.
"The unnamed suspect, described only as a Chinese woman, allegedly sought to establish a receiver for satellite downloads from satellites in polar orbits suitable for collecting data that could harm fundamental Norwegian interests if it becomes known to a foreign state," PST police attorney Thomas Blom said in a statement.
Polar-orbiting satellites frequently pass over high latitudes and are commonly used for Earth observation and remote sensing. PST indicated the alleged receiver would have been capable of downloading such data, which prompted concerns about national security.
Andøya Space, which operates the spaceport, said it had "no connection to the individual involved" and had not observed any activity related to its operations in this matter. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities pursue leads and determine whether additional charges are warranted.
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