High Security Operating Systems for Latest Satellite Computer

Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space) and Hensoldt Cyber announce their collaboration to offer the Trentos IT security operating system for Beyond Gravity’s latest Lynx satellite computer.

Ensuring a high level of IT security is at the heart of today’s efforts to make satellites more robust and reliable. “As satellites have become increasingly critical to the infrastructure of modern society, there is an increased need for cyber resilience protecting space,” explains Anders Linder, head of the global satellites business at Zurich-headquartered Beyond Gravity. There is a strong demand for highly secure IT solutions for ground systems as well as for satellites in space.

Hensoldt Cyber’s approach to cyber security is different from conventional IT solutions. Instead of standard add-on security products, which treat symptoms rather than addressing the underlying problems, Hensoldt offers products designed to ensure the integrity of embedded systems at the core: the operating system and the processor. “We build systems that are secure from the ground up using formal methods which provide mathematical proofed system features to achieve true trustworthiness,” offers Sascha Kegreiß, CTO at Hensoldt Cyber, who is also member of the governing board of the open-source seL4© Foundation. “With Trentos, we are providing an easy way to enable security-by-design for space application development to strongly oppose cyberwarfare.” The new high-security operating system, Trentos, is based on the seL4© microkernel, which provides proven security capabilities under all operating conditions. “It is therefore an excellent choice to meet the high requirements of the space industry,” adds Kegreiß.

“With Hensoldt Cyber’s new IT security operating system for our satellite computer Lynx, we can offer a higher value to our customers worldwide,” says Linder. “This cooperation is an important step to offer spacecraft platforms with IT security at a new level” As the Lynx computer is flexible, it can be easily configured with Trentos. “We also see possibilities to combine this computer with several additional capabilities, such as different communication links, as well as other features and hardware.”