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Hacking yourself a satellite – recovering BEESAT-1 [video]

In 2013, the satellite BEESAT-1 started returning invalid telemetry, rendering it effectively unusable. Because it is projected to remain...

This talk will tell the story of how by combining space and computer security mindsets, the fault was correctly diagnosed without telemetry, software update features were implemented without having them to begin with, and the satellite was recovered in September of 2024. A recovery of BEESAT-1 back into an operational state was made particularly attractive considering that due to its higher orbit, it is currently estimated to remain in space for another 20 years or more, while many of the other spacecraft of the BEESAT series have since burned up in the atmosphere. This talk will cover the recovery process from beginning to end, including: - A brief overview of how BEESAT-1 works and is operated - Diagnosing the loss of telemetry without access to said telemetry - Engineering a solution to the diagnosed issue, including: - figuring out how to upload new software without a feature intended for that task - establishing a development and testing setup for flight software development years after the original setup was dismantled - developing a patch to enable returning the satellite to an operational state and establish the ability to upload new flight software, while under the constraints posed by the lack of a proper upload method and without compromising the safety of the spacecraft - Implementing this solution on the actual spacecraft in space - A brief look at the current state of the spacecraft and remaining future tasks

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