Chinese citizen charged for flying hacked drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base
latimes.com — December 12, 2024, 01:01 AM UTC
A Chinese citizen, Yinpiao Zhou, was charged for flying a hacked drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The drone captured images of sensitive areas, including SpaceX facilities, on November 30. Zhou did not register the drone and lacked a license. Zhou allegedly modified his drone to enter no-fly zones and had previously searched for drone rules related to the base. He admitted to federal agents that photographing the military facility was "probably not a good idea." He was arrested at San Francisco International Airport before returning to China. Zhou faces charges for failing to register the drone and flying in restricted airspace. He is expected to be arraigned in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.