New Security Paradigms for Spacecraft and Networks: Metrics, Testbeds, and Scalable Solutions

Abstract

The rapid expansion of commercial spaceflight, driven by reduced launch costs and increased private investment, has transformed the landscape of space-based communications. Proposed mega-constellations comprising thousands of satellites promise global connectivity, linking directly to handheld devices on Earth. However, as government and commercial actors push further into space, the emerging heterogeneous networks that interconnect these systems face significant challenges in security and resilience—areas often discussed but infrequently demonstrated. This dissertation addresses these challenges through four primary contributions. First, it presents a novel logical topology for mega-constellations that enables scalable and resilient dynamic routing, significantly reducing network and computational overhead in large-scale satellite networks. Second, it introduces techniques for enabling robust, secure communication on energy-harvesting spacecraft, balancing security requirements with constrained power budgets. Additionally, this work evaluates the suitability of NIST-certified encryption algorithms for deep-space platforms, ensuring compliance with established standards while considering space-specific constraints. Third, it presents several holistic frameworks for systematic performance evaluations of dynamic network routing resilience and intermittent cryptography in space environments. Lastly, the dissertation describes contributions made to several open-source network emulators, enhancing their utility for future space networking research.