According to Breaking Defense, Northrop Grumman will begin testing a new hardware/software prototype for the Space Force next spring, designed to protect large interconnected satellite networks from cyberattacks. This prototype, named the Space End Crypto Unit (ECU), is being developed by Aeronix and is scheduled for delivery in 2024.
On June 7, Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) announced on its official website that it and Aeronix, Inc. have been selected to establish a secure connectivity network layer in space, which will help realize the Department of Defense (DoD) vision for joint forces. The two companies will develop a prototype of the Space Terminal Crypto Unit (ECU), which will connect platforms and weapons in low Earth orbit (LEO) across a common architecture, providing additional cybersecurity for critical missions of the Space Force. Northrop Grumman’s prototype is a flexible, high-throughput design based on a single-chip, reprogrammable solution, expected to provide a connectivity network solution that helps operators make faster decisions across various platforms.Amanda Walsh, a spokesperson for Northrop Grumman’s Network Information Solutions (NIS) division, stated, “We are developing a hardware unit that can survive in the space environment, designed to deploy hardware on satellites operating in proliferated low Earth orbit (pLEO).” In an email, she added, “We are also developing encryption software that will run on this hardware module, enabling network users to communicate securely within the network (i.e., protecting the mesh network).” Northrop Grumman is one of three companies contracted with the Space Development Agency, which signed a $692 million contract in February to develop the transport layer for its high-speed data and communication satellites in LEO. These satellites are designed to form the foundation of the Pentagon’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) concept for managing modern warfare across air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace.Cyber protection is a critical issue for large mesh network constellations, where an intrusion into one satellite link could disrupt the entire network.
Walsh mentioned that the prototype is being developed under a contract signed with the National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL), but she said the company is not authorized to disclose the contract’s value.NSTXL manages the Space Force’s public-private space enterprise consortium (SpEC) under a contract dated January 15, 2021. SpEC manages a fund worth up to $12 billion over ten years for other transaction authority and collaborates with the service’s Space Systems Command to select vetted contractors for specific projects among its members.According to the company’s press release, the prototype “is a flexible, high-throughput design based on a single-chip, reprogrammable solution, expected to provide a connected network solution that helps operators make faster decisions across various platforms.”Walsh explained that the chip is part of the hardware module, “designed to be deployed on satellites, but this hardware can also be deployed in other environments, such as ground stations and/or aircraft.”Kevin Berkowitz, NIS director, stated in a company press release on June 8, “Our open architecture space mesh network prototype enables new capabilities for the space layer network to meet emerging and evolving customer needs. This product provides data, communication connectivity, and encryption to process at mission speed—connecting the key elements of joint forces.”As the Department of Defense seeks to connect joint forces, Northrop Grumman’s networking capabilities play a crucial role in providing secure global connectivity. The latest demonstration of the software-programmable open mission system-compatible radio terminal has successfully connected third-party industry suppliers and securely shared information in a platform-agnostic global environment.Original link:https://breakingdefense.com/2022/06/northrop-grumman-to-build-space-force-prototype-for-cyber-protection-of-satellite-networks/
Source: Cyber Space Talk
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