New Zealand’s domestic spy agency disrupted an attempt by a Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-linked astronomical institute to quietly install ground-based satellite tracking equipment on local soil.
The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) revealed that the Purple Mountain Observatory—a China-based institution—tried to establish Ground Based Space Infrastructure (GBSI), a system that interacts with spacecraft.
“They worked with a local company that was likely unaware of the equipment’s capability to collect intelligence of military value and would have no idea who was receiving the data,” the Security Threat Environment 2026 report said.
“Purple Mountain’s close links to the [People’s Republic of China] means they could be compelled to pass on any data collected, however, in this case we assess it would have been willingly passed on.”…
What We Know About a Chinese Attempt to Install a Satellite Station in New Zealand
