First point - anyone ever heard of COBOL? Grace Hopper, et al, invented it and the government used it for free ever after.
Second point - I have done safety and security evaluation of software used in high-value systems. Open source software has a tremendous advantage for that type of application. I have seen the source for Windows (NT 4.0) and it isn't pretty. When I have to review every single line of code for safety and security, I'd much rather do the Linux kernel than NT/2K/XP.
1. Yes. As someone else has mentioned, satellite receivers link to the most powerful signal. Depending upon the orbit and radio frequency of your satellites, the transmitter may require anything from a simple dish to a huge tracking dish. For most purposes, an old C-band dish would suffice, but would require a transmitter. Tracking systems can be cobbled together from COTS parts, although there are gotchas.
2. How many of you think that you could decipher the structure of the command (given the motivation)?
Consider that a high school science teacher and class in England managed to capture and decode the downlink of the GLONASS (Soviet GPS) satellites. Your downlink is broadcast to anyone listening within the footprint of your satellites' transmitters. If that same someone listens to your uplink (more difficult but there are sidelobes), they can eventually learn your command set from the changes in telementry. BTW, recognizing telemetry is relatively easy. Satellites report on a standard set of characteristics (attitude, power, data) and can be easily understood.
3...Take a look at the security protocol (which is based on IPSEC, et. al) and tell me if you think it is secure, or whether you'd want to crack it.
I get paid for that. Without more time than I'm willing to
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..when you need them.
First point - anyone ever heard of COBOL? Grace Hopper, et al, invented it and the government used it for free ever after. Second point - I have done safety and security evaluation of software used in high-value systems. Open source software has a tremendous advantage for that type of application. I have seen the source for Windows (NT 4.0) and it isn't pretty. When I have to review every single line of code for safety and security, I'd much rather do the Linux kernel than NT/2K/XP.
1. Yes. As someone else has mentioned, satellite receivers link to the most powerful signal. Depending upon the orbit and radio frequency of your satellites, the transmitter may require anything from a simple dish to a huge tracking dish. For most purposes, an old C-band dish would suffice, but would require a transmitter. Tracking systems can be cobbled together from COTS parts, although there are gotchas.
2. How many of you think that you could decipher the structure of the command (given the motivation)?
Consider that a high school science teacher and class in England managed to capture and decode the downlink of the GLONASS (Soviet GPS) satellites. Your downlink is broadcast to anyone listening within the footprint of your satellites' transmitters. If that same someone listens to your uplink (more difficult but there are sidelobes), they can eventually learn your command set from the changes in telementry. BTW, recognizing telemetry is relatively easy. Satellites report on a standard set of characteristics (attitude, power, data) and can be easily understood.
3...Take a look at the security protocol (which is based on IPSEC, et. al) and tell me if you think it is secure, or whether you'd want to crack it.
I get paid for that. Without more time than I'm willing to