Tamper-proof 5G satellites Keysight and Sateliot Are Developing Secure Non-Terrestrial 5G Networks

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The ESA has commissioned Keysight and Sateliot to develop a blockchain-based framework for non-terrestrial 5G networks. This also raises questions regarding standardisation and interoperability.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected Keysight Technologies as the prime contractor for a three-year development program aimed at creating a blockchain-based trust and anomaly detection framework for non-terrestrial 5G (NTN) networks. Sateliot is participating as a technical partner. The project is part of the “Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity” program line within ESA’s ARTES program and aims to ensure the integrity and trustworthiness of space-based 5G/IoT services throughout a satellite’s entire lifecycle. This encompasses everything from manufacturing and calibration to telemetry and in-orbit operations.

Satellite Constellations for IoT and Broadband

The backdrop to this is the increase in satellite constellations for IoT and broadband, which is making NTN architectures more complex: Satellites, ground stations, and terrestrial 5G networks are interacting more closely, and future 6G scenarios anticipate that non-terrestrial components will play a central role. This interconnectivity brings new challenges for service quality, anomaly management, and operational security. According to the project partners, the availability of trustworthy, verifiable data is crucial for enabling autonomous, AI-supported operating modes and preventing tampering such as spoofing.

Keysight, a specialist in measurement technology, is contributing its expertise to the project to explore how blockchain technologies, AI/ML algorithms, and digital calibration certificates (DCCs) can work together. The goal is to create a verifiable trust framework that combines tamper resistance, traceable audit trails, and automated anomaly detection.

“This initiative represents an important step toward securing hybrid space-to-ground networks at a time when the global deployment of NTN networks is gaining momentum,” said Eric Taylor, Vice President of Aerospace, Defense, and Government Solutions at Keysight. “By combining measurement technology with AI-powered quality assurance and blockchain technologies, this work will demonstrate how trust can be established throughout the entire NTN lifecycle—from design and validation to in-orbit operations.”

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A Secure 5G Ecosystem

For Sateliot, which already has experience with 5G IoT satellites, the project offers an operational perspective on blockchain capabilities in orbit. “This program represents a crucial step toward integrating space-based resources into a secure, unified 5G ecosystem,” explains Albert Pujol, Chief Innovation Officer at Sateliot.

“By integrating blockchain into our operational activities at Orbit, we are creating a transparent validation layer that enables us to scale large IoT networks worldwide while consistently ensuring security and performance.” The blockchain is not intended to be a panacea, but rather to serve as an immutable audit layer that seamlessly logs measurement and calibration data, certificates, and relevant events.

Several building blocks are combined

The project combines several technical components: blockchain-based, tamper-proof logging for traceability; AI- and ML-based anomaly detection for autonomous monitoring and response; and digital calibration certificates that provide test and calibration information in a machine-readable and verifiable format.

These components are first tested in the laboratory and then validated in an orbital demonstration. Digital calibration certificates will be used to link measurement results from the manufacturing test bench to telemetry in orbit, in order to build confidence in data quality. Only then can the AI models make reliable decisions.

From a measurement technology perspective, the following are of interest: Test procedures and calibration processes must be digitised and digitally signed; test systems require interfaces to blockchain networks and AI pipelines; telemetry security and secure key management are becoming core requirements.

Thierry Locquette, Vice President of Sales, Europe at Keysight, also sees economic opportunities in this: “Europe is a pioneer in space-based connectivity and secure telecommunications. With our strong local presence and global expertise, we look forward to helping advance technologies that will play a crucial role in Europe’s future NTN and space communications infrastructure.”

Are new attack vectors emerging?

At the same time, the combination of blockchain and AI raises new questions: What standardisation and interoperability requirements will arise? How can a trustworthy verification and certification system be scaled across multinational configurations? And what new vulnerabilities arise in a system that makes autonomous network decisions based on networked measurement data? Answers to these questions must be found not only from a technical perspective, but also from organisational and regulatory perspectives.

The program is scheduled to run for three years. It begins with laboratory development and prototyping, proceeds through integration and validation phases, and culminates in a full-scale demonstration in orbit. If successful, the framework can serve as a blueprint for future NTN projects and accelerate the global rollout of trusted, space-based 5G/6G networks. This will have an impact on measurement technology, security, and system integration in European industry.