News updates. Cyber4Space

Dear friends, colleagues, followers!

Here is my first overview about recent News in Cyber for Space domain. Sometimes it will cover wider topics related to Space, Quantum and other #secureEarth domains.

More to come. Stay tuned)

1. #Scientists from the US and UK are calling for the formation of a regulatory body to manage space debris. With over 1 million pieces estimated to be 1cm or larger currently in orbit, and an additional 58,000 satellites projected to be launched by 2030, the lack of an international agreement is concerning due to satellite-makers having no incentive to clean up after themselves. Without a space-junk treaty, the risk of #space exploration being knocked off course increases.?

2. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Commission have successfully adopted the EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence, an important part of the EU 2022 Strategic Compass. The teams are proud to have made this achievement possible.

3. Kratos Defense and Security Solutions has announced the first of its OpenSpace? vStar solutions, designed to modernize #satellite #communications (satcom) ground systems and enable them to interoperate with terrestrial and cellular networks. vStar is a fully virtual and orchestrated software replacement for the traditional hardware-based hubs used in satcom today, offering simultaneous support for point-to-point and star topologies, multi-mission operations, dynamic configuration and touchless deployment within cloud and hybrid environments. OpenSpace vStar solutions enable satellite operators to leverage the full dynamic capabilities of their next generation satellites while catching up with the rest of the communications industry’s networks, while also providing better strategic planning, scalability, resource optimization, cloud native operations and accelerated time to revenue.?

4. KSAT – Kongsberg Satellite Services , a Norwegian-based company, has been contracted by MBRSC to provide communication between the Moon and the Earth. The Emirati Lunar Mission (ELM) Rashid rover will use the SvalSat ground station on Svalbard Island, which is part of KSAT's global network of over 270 antennas located at 26 sites. Rolf Skatteboe, CEO of KSAT, expressed excitement to support MBRSC and their ELM Rashid rover. The rover is currently on its way to the Moon and will use the largest antennas at Svalbard to communicate with Earth after landing in late April.

5. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) is calling on Pentagon commanders to ensure America's armed forces are prepared should GPS capabilities be compromised in a conflict with Russia. He stresses the need to train forces on alternative navigation methods, such as celestial guidance, and was backed by United States Space Command Commander General James H. Dickenson. Senator King is a recognized leader on national security and foreign policy issues, and has been vocal in condemning the attacks on Ukraine's sovereignty and pushing for a stronger international effort against Putin.

6. Ukraine is utilizing U.S. supplied equipment and SDR-based technologies to combat Russian forces, who are relying mostly on cellphones and unencrypted radios. NATO analysts report that Russian electronic warfare systems are primarily designed to jam airborne or satellite-based fire control radars and drone guidance systems, while Ukraine's forces have been able to intercept and detect Russian transmissions using electronic support gear. Elon Musk's Starlink has provided broadband internet to Ukrainian ground stations, making it difficult for Russia to jam these connections. Ukraine is fighting back with counter-drone systems, jamming Russian signals and directing rockets, artillery and drone counterattacks.

7. A 4-ton piece of a Chinese Chang Zheng 2D "Long March" rocket, which had delivered three military surveillance satellites in June, disintegrated over Texas at 17,000 mph, according to two defense officials. U.S. Space Command confirmed the reentry of the rocket body, but no debris has been located yet. It is believed that the mission of the rocket was to target the South China Sea. Space debris from China is a hazard to population centers, and NASA administrator Bill Nelson has criticized China's lack of care in ensuring the safe landing of its space debris and unwillingness to share trajectory data. The U.S. recently destroyed a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina that had been flying over the U.S. for more than a week, raising security concerns.

8. On March 1st, Telespazio Brasil opened a new satellite teleport in Maricá, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which hosts the OneWeb Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite gateway. The teleport has the capacity to host several satellites earth stations, LEO, GEO satellites infrastructures and Earth observation ground stations, and is connected to main data centers in Rio and S?o Paulo. The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by government and industry officials and political and military authorities. The gateway will be part of OneWeb’s LATAM ground system, providing low-latency and high-security broadband communications for government, defense, oil and gas, aviation industries and mobile networks, bringing 3G, 4G, and 5G to all parts of Brazil.

9. Cyberattacks are a growing threat, with over 83 breaches and 5 million records at risk registered in the UK in February 2022. This is in addition to the "NotPetya" attack that hit Ukraine the hardest in 2021, with financial losses estimated at over 10 billion USD. Cyberattacks have the potential to be used for political purposes, as seen with the STUXNET malware in 2010, and with increasing reliance on satellite systems for military and economic operations, the threat of cyberattacks on satellites is growing. Recent surveys indicate that experts now consider this a more concerning threat than a Carrington Effect or Kessler Syndrome, and countermeasures are needed to protect against sophisticated hackers.

10. CYSAT is the biggest European hybrid event , industrial leaders, universities, startups, and more to innovate and address challenges of the space industry. ETHIACK , Gama, Tweede golf , Leanspace , Aurea , GATEWATCHER , and CyberInflight are some of the startups that will be featured at the Innovation Corner. Sponsors can join CYSAT 2023 with a startup pack, which includes a high table and screen, as well as two executive and two online tickets.