Secure Communication in Space [.pdf]

Since Explorer, the first U.S. satellite which journeyed into space in February 1957, most civilized world nations have launched satellites of their own for communications, defense, commercial, meteorological, navigational, and exploration purposes. Some nations and groups of nations such as the U.S., Russia, China and Europe continue to place satellites in earth’s orbit on a regular basis. The proof-of-concept days of satellite propulsion technology are over. Government and private satellite research organizations have for years been able to focus on the spacecraft lifetime, payload efficiency and communications. The spacecraft lifetime, which is directly related to power source and consumption, has progressed to a point where a satellite’s life is now measured in years. With the invention of the integrated circuit and the miniaturization of most components, the power consumption can now be measured in tens of watts instead of hundreds of watts. This has also solved the payload size problem in relation to the cost per pound to launch a satellite. Communications technologies of satellites have also progressed. Carrier frequency bands were identified, by which to communicate with earth and then other satellites. The space community followed the direction of terrestrial communications when they converted their wireless circuits (over air frequencies) to various packet based systems. The most common standardized satellite packet based system called Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) can be compared to the ground based packet networks built on the Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI). This is the foundation on which this report attempts to exploit the security of satellites and satellite network communications and make technical and policy recommendations to secure these networks.