| | | | Steely Newsletter Issue #022 |
| Read all about LeoStella's newest massive spacecraft platform for small satellites, Intelsat and SES receiving a $9 billion payout from 5G cell network operators, Orbit Communications Systems implementing a new cybersecurity solution for it's ground stations and so much more! |
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| | Geek Wire | Alan Boyle | 08-06-2023 LeoStella, a joint venture between Thales Alenia Space and BlackSky, has unveiled its latest spacecraft platform, the LS-300 bus. The LS-300 is designed for satellites weighing up to 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms), with half of that mass available for the satellite's payload. This makes it a good fit for the growing demand for larger small satellites. The LS-300 is also equipped with a xenon-based electric propulsion system that can achieve velocity changes of more than 440 mph (200 meters per second). This gives the satellite more flexibility in its orbital maneuvering and precision pointing capabilities. |
| ARS Technica | Stephen Clark | 08-03-2023 Intelsat and SES, two of the world's largest geostationary communications satellite operators, launched the last of 12 new C-band video relay satellites on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The satellites are being used to clear spectrum for the rollout of 5G wireless services in the United States. Intelsat and SES will receive nearly $9 billion in incentive payments from 5G cell network operators once they clear the lower 300 MHz of C-band spectrum. The satellites were built by Maxar and Northrop Grumman, and they were launched on seven individual rockets: five SpaceX Falcon 9s, one United Launch Alliance Atlas V, and one European Ariane 5 rocket from Arianespace. |
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🛡️Satellite Cybersecurity News |
| Cybernews | Vilius Petkauskas | 08-04-2023 A team of researchers from Ruhr University Bochum and the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security in Saarbrücken found that many satellites have poor security measures and are vulnerable to cyberattacks. The researchers studied a couple of smallsats and a single medium-sized device, including one that is used to monitor the Earth. They found several exploitable bugs that could be used to hack the satellites. The researchers say that malicious hackers could easily hack the satellites using off-the-shelf equipment. They also say that financially motivated attackers, such as ransomware gangs, are capable of hacking satellites. |
| Via Satellite | Mark Holmes | 08-04-2023 Orbit Communications Systems has introduced NetShroud+, a new cybersecurity solution for its Gaia100 Earth observation systems. NetShroud+ protects the ground stations from potential cyber-attacks, ensuring uninterrupted communication with Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. NetShroud+ uses artificial neural networks and artificial intelligence to detect anomalies and zero-day attacks in real-time. It also offers robust protection against ransomware, safeguarding systems from previously unknown vulnerabilities and malicious data encryption. With the addition of NetShroud+, the Gaia100 system now provides a comprehensive and secure solution for ground station operators. This is essential in the growing EO market, where cyber threats are becoming increasingly common. |
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| | Space.com | Mike Wall | 08-06-2023 SpaceX launched 22 more Starlink satellites into orbit on August 6, 2023. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and landed on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. This was the fourth launch and landing for this particular booster. The Starlink satellites will be deployed into low Earth orbit, where they will provide broadband internet access to underserved areas. SpaceX has now launched about 4,900 Starlink satellites to date, and more than 4,500 of them are currently operational. The company plans to launch many more Starlink satellites in the coming weeks and months, and it has approval to deploy up to 12,000 satellites. |
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🏛️US Government Satellite News |
| Via Satellite | Rachel Jewett | 08-04-2023 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is launching an inquiry into non-federal spectrum usage. The FCC hopes to better understand how new data sources and technologies like AI can be used to manage spectrum more effectively. The FCC typically relies on third-party sources for spectrum usage data, but this information is often incomplete or inaccurate. The new inquiry will seek public comment on best practices for collecting and using spectrum usage data. The FCC is also interested in how AI can be used to improve spectrum efficiency and resiliency. AI-powered devices could be programmed to manage transmissions and avoid harmful interference on their own, without the need for centralized control. |
| Via Satellite | Rachel Jewett | 08-02-2023 Viasat has launched a new family of modem solutions, Black ICE Software Defined Radio (SDR). These modems can be integrated with commercial off-the-shelf and custom waveforms, and they are designed to meet the needs of military users with security, flexibility, a low form factor, and high-performance capabilities. Black ICE SDRs can be used on beyond line of sight communications on crewed and uncrewed platforms, as well as expeditionary command and control (C2) operations. They are compatible with Inmarsat's Elera L-band and Global Xpress networks, and they can be integrated into standard Global Xpress Ka-band terminals via G-MODMAN II and open platform modem manager technology. |
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| | | 11111 Sunset Hills Rd, Reston, VA, 20190 |
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