International Association
for Cryptologic Research

Traditional satellite communication network involves mainly two or three segments – the satellite, ground station and possible ground users. This method of communication has several disadvantages from resource usage point of view. As a solution, federated satellite system concept is introduced. Under this concept, several satellites from different organisations can form a satellite constellation system and cooperate to increase resource utilization under a profitable business agreement (e.g., usage-based pricing). This cooperation model is further extended by multi-tenant spacecraft concept where several users can reuse the resources of same spacecraft. But all these scenarios also require robust security solutions so that malicious actors cannot profit from any existing vulnerabilities in the whole system for example during routing, network access, and handover. This project aims to solve this security problem and to help the sector to grow further. In this project, the student will develop novel computer architecture required to support the security protocols proposed and/or standardized by CCSDS and will also propose new protocols. The student will also work on Software defined Satellite networking to enable programmability and reconfigurability of the system. The work will involve design of novel computer architecture and/or novel operating system and/or novel multiparty security protocol.

Closing date for applications:

Contact: Arnab Kumar Biswas

More information: https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate-research/phd-opportunities/secure-satellite-constellation-system.html