Cyber security and space security are merging due to increased digitalization of space infrastructure and operations. Non-kinetic counterspace capabilities such as cyber operations are an attractive alternative to kinetic weapons due to their ability to avoid hazardous debris and operate below the threshold of armed conflict. This continued intertwining of outer space and cyber space introduces a larger cyber dimension to space infrastructure. This report is a step towards building an understanding of what this development may entail by exploring how offensive cyber operations can be used to target space infrastructure. It serves as a starting point for understanding the implications of these developments for security and strategy.
The research question guiding the analysis is “how does the space-cyberspace nexus influence the risk of offensive cyberoperations targeting space infrastructure?” The question is answered by analyzing how a motivated actor can gain access to key components of the infrastructure and what effect such operations may create. The analysis begins with a description of the elements of space infrastructure before expanding on a conceptualization of offensive cyber operations derived from cyber conflict literature. Further, we analyze how offensive cyber operations may be used to target space infrastructure. Focus is on two of the three components in space infrastructure: the ground segment and the space segment. Finally, we present a summary of effects and a categorization of vulnerabilities, before concluding and pointing to recommendations.
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