Chinese and Russian spies

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Space Launch Complex 40 near Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a night in 2022, carrying a record-breaking payload of 56 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. The mission marked a milestone for the company, which specializes in reusable rockets that return to Earth after deploying their cargo.

SpaceX's highly proprietary technology allowed the rocket to separate from its payload, arc back, and perform a controlled landing—a feat that had never been accomplished before in the industry.

For the Assad couple, SpaceX launches were more than just technological marvels. Former CIA officers, Ahmad Assad and Rigby Assad, had settled in Florida after decades of working in various conflict zones as intelligence officers. They founded a security firm to advise clients on potential threats and became part of the vibrant, albeit secretive, community along Florida's so-called Space Coast.

The area, home to 21 military installations and the world's busiest spaceport, attracted spies from both China and Russia, who sought to gather intelligence, recruit locals, and exploit vulnerabilities.

The Assads, keen observers of human behavior, noticed an attractive Chinese woman actively engaging with SpaceX engineers and tech enthusiasts at the Sandbar, an establishment near the launch site. Rigby, the former counterintelligence interrogator, suspected the woman of being a foreign intelligence officer, constantly approaching men at the bar as if she were assigned to do so.

He discreetly took a photo and reported her activities to the authorities. This was not an isolated incident; the former spies noted that the Space Coast was a favorite destination for diplomats, diplomats, and spies alike, who used it as a cover for their activities. Both China and Russia were highly active in the area, employing different tactics.

While the Russians relied on tradecraft and discretion, the Chinese government expected its citizens to assist intelligence services without question.