Cybersecurity company CybExer is leading a ten-company European consortium developing an end-to-end capability to test and validate protected satellite communications linked to IRIS², the EU’s future secure satellite connectivity system.
Europe needs to know how secure satellite communications will perform under interference, disruption, and cyberattack before governments and critical operations depend on them. The new capability will make it possible to test this across the full communications chain, from the satellite link and ground infrastructure to the end user, under realistic disruption and adversarial conditions - without putting operational systems at risk.
Testing scenarios include satellite communications supporting drone operations and command and control in contested environments. Disruption to a satellite link can affect not only the aircraft but the wider communications chain through ground infrastructure to the operator.
The activity forms part of the IRIS² Low-LEO Pre-Operational and De-Risk Activities Consolidation Phase, within the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Programme Related to EU Secure Connectivity.
Laurent Jaffart, Director of ESA’s Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity, commented: “The future of secure connectivity will not be defined by a single technology or a single orbit. It will come from combining complementary capabilities and having the flexibility to adapt as Europe’s needs evolve. Through its Low-LEO activities, ESA looks forward to working hand-in-hand with the European Commission and European industry to explore what comes next for IRIS²; to shape the capabilities that will support Europe’s future connectivity needs.”
IRIS² is now moving into full-scale deployment, with a main constellation of 348 satellites and a 12-year concession valued at €15.6bn. It is intended to provide secure connectivity for governments and other critical users, including in situations where communications are disrupted or deliberately targeted.
Liina Vahtras, Minister of Economy and Industry of Estonia, said: “Estonia has established itself as both a cyber and a space nation, and CybExer’s project shows how these two strengths can reinforce each other. An Estonian company leading an international consortium on a European Space Agency project demonstrates that our companies can compete in major European technology programmes. Projects like this bring new expertise, high-value jobs and business opportunities to Estonia, while helping our companies grow internationally. The more we can develop technologies that Europe needs for its security and economy, the stronger both Estonia and Europe will be.”
Kristiina Omri, Vice President of Special Programmes at CybExer and Project Manager, said: “Once technology has been deployed in orbit, identifying weaknesses - and fixing them - becomes considerably more difficult. We need reliable evidence of how these systems behave under disruption and attack before they become part of critical operations. By bringing together expertise in space, telecommunications and cybersecurity, we can look beyond individual components and understand the resilience of the whole communications chain.”
The project formally launches on 17 September, when the parallel activities selected for ESA’s Low-LEO Consolidation Phase come together for a joint kick-off at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Madrid.
As prime contractor, CybExer is working with CGI Estonia, CR14, DamoTech, Hellas Sat, KrattWorks, M3S Italia, Magister Solutions, Rantelon and Spaceit, bringing together companies from Estonia, Finland, Greece and Italy.
About IRIS²
IRIS² - Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite - is the European Union’s secure satellite connectivity system for governmental and other critical users. ESA’s Low-LEO Pre-Operational and De-Risk Activities are designed to mature and validate new governmental services and capabilities before potential operational integration. The main IRIS² constellation will comprise 348 satellites, with first launches planned for 2029.
About ESA Programme Related to EU Secure Connectivity
Under the overall responsibility of the European Commission, IRIS² is a bold endeavour to build a space-based secure and resilient connectivity network that elevates Europe’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness, where and when it matters most. ESA acts on behalf of the European Commission as the qualification and validation authority for the governmental infrastructure of the Union Secure Connectivity Programme. It manages development and validation contracts supporting the initial space and ground segments, verifies end-to-end system, service, and security performance against EC requirements, and coordinates these activities with ESA’s own programme.
Within this programme, the IRIS² Low-LEO Pre-Operational and De-Risk Activities components provide a rapid and recurrent mechanism for validating potential new governmental services and associated mission concepts in orbit up to a pre-operational level, subject to successful maturation and later programme level decisions of integration into the operational EU IRIS² baseline.
Ultimately, these activities aim at contributing to the continued evolution and enhancement of IRIS² services and capabilities, supporting Europe’s long-term leadership in space in an ever-changing world.
Learn more at: https://resilience.esa.int/esa-programme-related-to-eu-secure-connectivity-and-iris%C2%B2
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