| | | | Steely Newsletter Issue #020 |
| Read all about Astranis' internet satellite malfunctioning before beginning service, NASA colliding satellites into an asteroid... on purpose, how hackers can hijack a satellite and so much more! |
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| | CNBC | Michael Sheetz | 07-21-2023 Astranis' first commercial satellite, Arcturus, has malfunctioned due to a problem with its solar arrays. The satellite was intended to provide coverage to Alaska, but it will not be able to operate at full capacity. Astranis has already planned a backup satellite, UtilitySat, which is expected to begin providing service to Alaska by spring of next year. In the meantime, Astranis will continue looking at ways to potentially recover Arcturus or use it as a demo platform. |
| Al Jazeera | 07-20-2023 NASA's DART mission successfully deflected an asteroid in 2022. The collision created a swarm of boulders, some as large as 22 feet across. The boulders are currently moving at a slow speed, so they are not a threat to Earth. The boulders were created when the DART spacecraft slammed into the asteroid at 14,000 miles per hour. The DART mission was a test of a planetary defense technique that could be used to deflect asteroids that pose a threat to Earth. The success of the mission shows that this technique is feasible and could be used to protect our planet from future asteroid impacts. |
| The National Interest | Cassandra Shand | 07-20-2023 The commercial LEO satellite industry is booming, but the finite nature of orbital slots and spectrum allocation could have an adverse geopolitical impact. The competition for space in LEO is similar to a parking lot: once the parking lot is full, there are no spaces left. This has led to a satellite race, with both domestic firms and other countries trying to launch their own satellite constellation. There is a need to create an effective satellite allocation system and spectrum allocation across different jurisdictions. |
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🛡️Satellite Cybersecurity News |
| Wired | Matt Burgess | 07-20-2023 A new analysis from German academics has found that many satellites in use today have "simple" security vulnerabilities that could allow an attacker to take control of them. The researchers say that the current state of satellite security can be classed as “security by obscurity.” They inspected the software used by three small satellites and found that they lack some basic protections, such as encryption and access control. Experts have long been concerned about the security of satellites, and the German researchers' findings highlight the need for more to be done to protect them from attack. |
| Space Operations Command | Marc Denofio | 07-17-2023 Moonlighter, a satellite designed to advance cybersecurity for space systems, was launched on June 6 and deployed into low earth orbit on July 5. The satellite will host the first on-orbit Capture the Flag (CTF) hacking competition during the Hack-A-Sat 4 finals in August. The CTF will challenge security researchers from around the world to hack into Moonlighter and find vulnerabilities. The top five teams will compete for the $100,000 final event prize pool. |
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| | Amazon | 07-21-2023 Amazon is building a new satellite-processing facility at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center at the Kennedy Space Center. The facility will be used to prepare and integrate Kuiper satellites with rockets from Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance (ULA) ahead of launches. Amazon is investing $120 million in new construction and high-value equipment for the facility, and creating up to 50 new jobs on the Space Coast. The facility is the latest in a series of Amazon investments in the U.S. space and satellite industry, and in the state of Florida. |
| Via Satellite | Rachel Jewett | 07-17-2023 Orbit Communication Systems and Viasat have signed a deal to integrate Orbit's airborne terminals with Viasat's Ka-band network. The new agreement includes the Orbit Multi-Purpose Terminals for government and commercial use, which will allow customers to access the entire Ka-band spectrum, including Mil-Ka. The new terminals will adhere to the Open AMIP standards and will be able to operate over the Viasat Ka-band network and Global Xpress network, as well as other Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) constellation networks. This cooperation will serve the short-term and long-term needs of high-requirement government users worldwide, and will also serve additional customers of the two companies. |
| Sat News | 07-20-2023 The Ovzon T7 is a rugged, ultra-small terminal that is easy to use and runs on any power source. It can send and receive data at very high rates, or it can be configured to avoid detection in contested environments. The Ovzon T7 has already demonstrated its capabilities, transmitting 10 Mbps and receiving 60 Mbps on current Ovzon networks. The Ovzon T7 will also take full advantage of the "near-peer" capabilities provided by Ovzon 3's On Board Processor. This means that the terminal can communicate directly with other Ovzon T7 terminals even when gateways are unavailable. It can also communicate below the noise floor, obfuscate traffic patterns, and hop frequencies to avoid detection. |
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🏛️US Government Satellite News |
| Via Satellite | Frank Wolfe | 07-20-2023 The head of U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM) said that the 133 commercial space companies that provide systems for U.S. military use do not have automatic protection for those systems from SPACECOM. The secretary of defense and the president would have to approve SPACECOM's protection of commercial satellites, if attacked. SPACECOM plans to expand its Commercial Integration Cell (CIC) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, beyond the 10 companies in the CIC, which may aid DoD in the protection of commercial satellites. |
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| | | 11111 Sunset Hills Rd, Reston, VA, 20190 |
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