Secure And Reliable Execution Of Untrusted Code In Space

Abstract

With an ongoing shift from well-defined missions towards multi-tenant reusable missions, the field of space exploration is facing new challenges. Previous security-by-obscurity models become obsolete and new forms of safety and security are required for future missions. A new software architecture to develop, deploy, and execute untrusted code in space is presented. We show how well established isolation strategies can be used in space missions, given the unique and demanding environment in space. Based on real-world requirements of researchers for space systems, a system to run third party applications alongside mission-critical software is designed. It is shown how container images can be adapted for the use in space and satellite constellations, given the limited uplink bandwidth to spacecrafts. Different Container tools are compared, considering the special requirements for developing software for space.