A simple farmhouse and a mysterious dish set the stage for a real-world spy thriller. When French counterintelligence spotted that setup, they realised someone was tapping into high-value space communications.
What drew their attention?
Agents working for the Defence Intelligence and Security Directorate zeroed in on an odd satellite dish perched on a balcony beside farm silos. It wasn’t your everyday TV dish—it had specialised gear aimed straight at CNES ground stations in Issus-Aussaguel. Those stations direct observation satellites built by Airbus and Thales, making the intercepted signals a serious national security concern.
This is the type of small station offered by the Chinese company Emposat. Did the satellite dish used resemble these models? © Emposat
Chinese big ears in the countryside
The homeowner, Dong H., was no ordinary resident. A former employee of Beijing’s Academy of Science and Technology and president of Stahd Europe—a subsidiary of Emposat, the Chinese communications specialist—she had all the credentials for espionage. Emposat’s failed bid to install a ground station in the Czech Republic underscored how wary governments are of hidden antennas.
French investigators couldn’t prove data theft outright, but they confirmed the dish was finely tuned to CNES frequencies. Instead of a raid, authorities filed legal charges for illegal antenna installation, quietly dismantling the operation. Dong’s rural hideout shows how easy it can be to set up covert surveillance right under everyone’s nose.
Sylvain Biget
Journalist
From journalism to tech expertise
Sylvain Biget is a journalist driven by a fascination for technological progress and the digital world’s impact on society. A graduate of the École Supérieure de Journalisme de Paris, he quickly steered his career toward media outlets specializing in high-tech. Holder of a private-pilot licence and certified professional drone operator, he blends his passion for aviation with deep expertise in tech reporting.
A key member of Futura’s editorial team
As a technology journalist and editor at Futura, Sylvain covers a wide spectrum of topics—cybersecurity, the rise of electric vehicles, drones, space science and emerging technologies. Every day he strives to keep Futura’s readers up to date on current tech developments and to explore the many facets of tomorrow’s world. His keen interest in the advent of artificial intelligence enables him to cast a distinctive light on the challenges of this technological revolution.
