German media reports, including VDR, NDER, and the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, revealed suspicious movements in space at an altitude of about 36,000 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, in an incident that aroused widespread interest within the German armed forces.
The case revolves around a satellite that appears to be used for German military communications, after it was spotted being pursued by another satellite. According to available information, a Chinese satellite, which Western military estimates believe is intended for espionage purposes, approached a satellite belonging to the British company Inmarsat.
These movements, which are said to have been under surveillance for several months, raise security concerns about the possibility of being exploited to eavesdrop on secret communications, which highlights the escalation of intelligence competition in space and its transformation into a new arena of conflict between major powers.
The British company Inmarsat, which since 2023 has become a subsidiary of the American group ViaSat, manages a fleet of more than a dozen satellites, most of which are geostationary satellites. These satellites rotate at an altitude close to the equator, synchronized with the Earth's rotation, so that they appear almost fixed over a specific location. Inmarsat satellites are used by various customers to conduct communications worldwide. These include the armed forces of Germany and Ukraine.
The German military so far only operates a limited number of its own satellites, less than ten. To ensure the necessary data movement, it cooperates with private companies to operate satellites. According to the German press investigation, Inmarsat agents were advised a few days ago to change their communications frequencies, with the aim of making the eavesdropping mission that the Chinese satellite might carry out as more difficult as possible. But experts explained, in unannounced statements, that this measure would likely not prevent espionage, as it is believed that the Chinese satellite, in its current location, is capable of capturing a wide range of frequencies.
A spokesman for the German Defense Ministry declined to comment on the matter, saying that “for reasons related to military security,” the ministry cannot make public statements about “any potential or actual monitoring operations or threats to German or allied space infrastructure.”
Information indicates that attempts at interference and military interference in space by Russia and China are much greater than what was known so far. China launched a TJS-20 satellite into space in October 2025. The abbreviation TJS is derived from a Chinese phrase, meaning "testing of communications technologies." It is the name of a secret government space program of the People's Republic of China. The official story says that TJS satellites are used to test data transmission technologies. However, specialists and Western intelligence services believe that they are satellites that can be used in espionage operations. The Chinese embassy in Berlin has not yet responded to an inquiry in this regard.
The Chinese program includes two groups of satellites: the first group is called “Huyan,” which means “eye of fire.” These satellites are believed to be used to monitor missile bases belonging to competing countries, such as US bases that house nuclear weapons, with the aim of providing an early warning system to warn of attacks. The second group is called "Qianshao", which means "forward position" or "advanced outpost." It is believed that the TJS-20 satellite belongs to this category.
These satellites can apparently be used to carry out electronic espionage operations from distant orbits. According to security sources, satellites carrying out spy missions often enter a cone-shaped area, which allows them to monitor data transmission between the satellite and ground stations. However, it is believed that most sensitive information remains encrypted, even when transmitted via private satellites.
