Russian scientist accused of spying on Europe's space programme

German prosecutors claim 'Ilnur N' was paid in cash for details about rocket launcher development

Russian intelligence agents were said to be particularly interested in Europe's Ariane rocket launchers. AP

A Russian scientist has been charged with espionage in Germany after allegedly passing on secrets about the European space programme.

The suspect, who worked at a German university and was named by prosecutors as Ilnur N, allegedly received 2,500 euros ($2,780) in cash for tip-offs about Europe’s Ariane launch vehicles.

Prosecutors claim he regularly met a Russian handler stationed in Germany after agreeing to work for Moscow’s foreign intelligence service, SVR.

On these occasions he would pass on information about European rocket development and research on space travel, said a German prosecutor’s office that handles espionage and terrorism cases.

It said Russia appeared particularly interested in the Ariane rockets, a series of launchers used by European Space Agency missions.

The newest model, Ariane 6, is set to take its first flight this year, with two of its rocket stages arriving this month at a spaceport in French Guiana used for European launches.

Its predecessor Ariane 5 typically takes off six to seven times a year, but the model faces growing competition from rivals such as SpaceX.

A launch site being prepared for the Ariane 6 rocket at the ESA-operated space port in French Guiana. AFP

Although Russia and the ESA co-operate on some missions, Moscow is planning to put its own space station in orbit by 2025 and has frequently been accused of spying on technological developments in the West.

The alleged spy in Germany was arrested in June, when investigators also searched his home and workplace at a university in Bavaria, a southern state.

The charge of espionage was filed last month before being made public on Thursday. Prosecutors said he had been working for Russian intelligence since at least the autumn of 2019.

It is the latest in a series of allegations of Russian spying in Germany. In August, a former employee of the British embassy in Berlin was arrested on suspicion of passing documents to Moscow.

Russia was blamed for a cyber-attack on politicians just weeks before last year’s German general election, with hackers allegedly trying to steal email passwords from MPs.

Bilateral relations took another hit last month after a German court ruled Moscow had ordered the 2019 assassination of an ex-Chechen commander in a Berlin park.