| | | | Steely Newsletter Issue #021 |
| Read all about Viasat withdrawing their V-band application for Inmarsat’s Orchestra constellation, GhostSec hackers targeting international satellites, China beginning to launch VLEO satellites this December and so much more! |
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| | Data Center Dynamics | Dan Swinhoe | 07-26-2023 This was done in response to a condition set by the FCC when it approved Viasat's acquisition of Inmarsat, which prohibits a single entity from holding or seeking multiple authorizations for unbuilt NGSO systems that would operate in the same frequency band. Viasat already has an existing, approved application for V-band access to the US market. Inmarsat had planned to launch a fleet of low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites known as Orchestra, which would combine its existing GEO satellites with a new "small constellation" of 150-175 LEO satellites. However, it is unclear whether or not these plans will be affected by Viasat's decision to withdraw its applications for V-band spectrum. |
| Space Ref | Keith Cowing | 07-26-2023 iQPS, a Japanese SAR satellite company, has successfully activated the IDRS™ service on its QPS-SAR-6 satellite. This service provides ‘always-on’, on-demand data connection capabilities, which allows iQPS to have persistent connectivity with its fleet of QPS-SAR satellites. This leads to rapid, real-time tasking of high-res SAR images and real-time management of the whole constellation. iQPS aims to establish a 36-QPS-SAR satellite constellation that will enable observation almost anywhere in the world at an average 10-minute interval. |
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🛡️Satellite Cybersecurity News |
| Cybernews | Jesse William McGraw | 07-24-2023 GhostSec is a hacktivist group that has been involved in a number of high-profile cyberattacks against critical infrastructure. The group has targeted Israeli and Russian industrial control systems, as well as satellite modems used by the space industry. GhostSec's attacks have been sophisticated and well-planned, and they have caused significant damage to their targets. The group's motives are unclear, but they have claimed to be motivated by a desire to "change the world for the better." GhostSec's attacks have raised concerns about the security of critical infrastructure and the potential for hacktivists to cause widespread damage. The article goes on to discuss the implications of GhostSec's attacks and the need for increased security measures to protect critical infrastructure. |
| Cyberscoop | AJ Vicens | 07-26-2023 NATO is investigating a cyber incident after hackers posted a link to more than 700 internal documents. The files include personnel names and contact information, lists of software used for various purposes, and more. The group that posted the link, SiegedSec, claims that the attack is a retaliation against NATO for its "attacks on human rights." SiegedSec is known for politically motivated attacks that typically don't have a financial connection. They have previously claimed attacks on satellite receivers and industrial control systems in the United States, as well as state government agencies in Kentucky and Arkansas. |
| Executive Gov | Jane Edwards | 07-26-2023 The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a report on cybersecurity for the commercial satellite industry. The report provides an overview of the Cybersecurity Framework and how it can be applied to commercial satellite operations. It also includes a set of example requirements that could be used by space companies to develop an initial baseline. The report focuses on unmanned commercial space vehicles that will not dock with crewed spacecraft. |
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| | Space News | Andrew Jones | 07-24-2023 Chinese space contractor CASIC plans to launch a constellation of 300 satellites in very-low Earth orbit (VLEO) late this year. The VLEO constellation will be used for communications and remote sensing, and will provide users with space information services every half an hour. The first satellite in the constellation will be launched in December, and the full constellation will be completed by 2030. VLEO satellites have a number of advantages over traditional satellites, including lower power demands, a lower radiation environment, and smaller and less complex sensors. CASIC's VLEO constellation is part of China's 14th Five Year Plan, which includes plans to develop global remote sensing capabilities. |
| ARS Technica | Stephen Clark | 07-27-2023 SpaceX is set to launch the heaviest commercial communications satellite ever built on Friday night. The satellite, named Jupiter 3, is owned by EchoStar and built by Maxar. Jupiter 3 will provide up to 500 gigabits per second of total capacity, beaming Internet signals to rural homes, businesses, airplane passengers, and government and military users. The satellite will be launched on a Falcon Heavy rocket, which is the world's most powerful commercial launch vehicle in operational service. |
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🏛️US Government Satellite News |
| Via Satellite | Frank Wolfe | 07-26-2023 The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) have awarded 16 companies five-year contracts to establish commercial communications for military use. The contracts are part of a Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite-Based Services program that may be worth $900 million. The companies receiving the awards are SpaceX, Capella Space, BlackSky Technology, SES DRS Global Enterprise Solutions, EchoStar Corp., Viasat Inc., Amazon’s Kuiper Government Services, Intelsat, OneWeb Technologies, ARINC, Artel, PAR Technology Corp., RiteNet Corp., Satcom Direct, Trace Systems, and UltiSat. |
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| | OneWeb | 07-24-2023 "A Champions League qualifier match hosted in the Faroe Islands has been broadcast to viewers across multiple TV and streaming platforms around the world via the OneWeb network, thanks to our work with our partners and colleagues at Network Innovations and Open Broadcast Systems – all delivered through Kymeta Corporation’s u8 user terminal." |
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