ORLANDO, Fla. – A Canadian national has been charged with three counts of using an unmanned aircraft to photograph vital defense installations without authorization at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, according to a criminal information filing.
Xiao Guang Pan, 71, allegedly captured aerial images of space launch complexes, a payload processing facility, a submarine wharf, and munitions bunkers on three separate days in January 2025. Federal law prohibits photographing defense installations without proper authorization.
If convicted, Pan faces up to one year in federal prison for each count.
The investigation involves U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Space Coast, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Additional support was provided by multiple agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the NASA Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan is prosecuting the case.