US 11,689,509 B2Granted

Satellite operations with secure enclave for secure hosted payload operations

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorsRobert J. Winig, Yi-Feng J. Chen

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Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for satellite operations with a secure enclave for secure hosted payload operations are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, a disclosed method for payload operations comprises receiving, by a command receiver on a vehicle (e.g., a satellite), host commands from a host spacecraft operations center (SOC). The method further comprises reconfiguring a host payload on the vehicle according to the host commands. Also the method comprises transmitting, by a telemetry transmitter on the vehicle, host payload telemetry to the host SOC. In addition, the method comprises receiving, by a payload antenna on the vehicle, hosted commands from a secure enclave of the host SOC. Additionally, the method comprises reconfiguring a hosted payload on the vehicle according to the hosted commands. Further, the method comprises transmitting, by the payload antenna, host payload data, hosted payload data, and hosted telemetry to the secure enclave of the host SOC.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for payload operations, the method comprising:

receiving, by a command receiver on a vehicle, encrypted host commands, which are host commands encrypted by a host spacecraft operations center (SOC) utilizing a host communication security (COMSEC) variety;
decrypting, by a host communication security module on the vehicle, the encrypted host commands by utilizing the host COMSEC variety to produce unencrypted host commands;
reconfiguring a host payload on the vehicle according to the unencrypted host commands;
encrypting, by the host communication security module, unencrypted host payload telemetry by utilizing the host COMSEC variety to produce encrypted host payload telemetry;
transmitting, by a telemetry transmitter on the vehicle, the encrypted host payload telemetry to the host SOC, which decrypts the encrypted host payload telemetry by utilizing the host COMSEC variety to produce the unencrypted host payload telemetry;
receiving, by a payload antenna on the vehicle, encrypted hosted commands, which are hosted commands encrypted by a secure enclave of the host SOC by utilizing a hosted COMSEC variety;
decrypting, by a hosted communication security module on the vehicle, the encrypted hosted commands by utilizing the hosted COMSEC variety to produce unencrypted hosted commands;
reconfiguring a hosted payload on the vehicle according to the unencrypted hosted commands;
encrypting, by the hosted communication security module, unencrypted hosted payload telemetry by utilizing the hosted COMSEC variety to produce encrypted hosted payload telemetry;
and
transmitting, by the payload antenna, host payload data, hosted payload data, and the encrypted hosted telemetry, which is decrypted by the secure enclave of the host SOC by utilizing the hosted COMSEC variety to produce the unencrypted hosted telemetry.

8 more elements

A method for payload operations, the method comprising:

receiving, by a command receiver on the vehicle, encrypted host commands, which are host commands encrypted by a host spacecraft operations center (SOC) utilizing a host communication security (COMSEC) variety;
decrypting, by a host communication security module on the vehicle, the encrypted host commands by utilizing the host COMSEC variety to produce unencrypted host commands;
commanding, by a host processor, a hosted payload on the vehicle at least one of on or off according to the unencrypted host commands;
reconfiguring a host payload on the vehicle according to the unencrypted host commands;
encrypting, by the host communication security module, unencrypted host payload telemetry by utilizing the host COMSEC variety to produce encrypted host payload telemetry;
transmitting, by a telemetry transmitter on the vehicle, the encrypted host payload telemetry to the host SOC, which decrypts the encrypted host payload telemetry by utilizing the host COMSEC variety to produce the unencrypted host payload telemetry;
receiving, by at least one of a host payload antenna or a hosted payload antenna on the vehicle, encrypted hosted commands, which are hosted commands encrypted by a secure enclave of the host SOC by utilizing a hosted COMSEC variety;
decrypting, by a hosted communication security module on the vehicle, the encrypted hosted commands by utilizing the hosted COMSEC variety to produce unencrypted hosted commands;
reconfiguring the hosted payload on the vehicle according to the unencrypted hosted commands;
encrypting, by the hosted communication security module, unencrypted hosted payload telemetry by utilizing the hosted COMSEC variety to produce encrypted hosted payload telemetry;
and
transmitting, by at least one of the host payload antenna or the hosted payload antenna, the encrypted hosted telemetry, which is decrypted by the secure enclave of the host SOC by utilizing the hosted COMSEC variety to produce the unencrypted hosted telemetry.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/474,992Filed 14 Sep 2021
Published: US 2023/0080153 A116 Mar 2023
Granted: 27 Jun 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H04L 63/0428
For providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks: wherein the data content is protected, e.g.…
H04B 7/18565
Satellite systems for providing telephony service to a mobile station, i.e. mobile satellite service: arrangements for preventing unauthorised…
H04L 5/0044
Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path: allocation of payload; Allocation of data channels, e.g. PDSCH or PUSCH
H04L 63/0272
For separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls: virtual private networks