Toulouse, December 7th, 2025 : The French Space Agency (CNES) awarded a contract to CYSEC in the framework of the France 2030 programme to develop and test in orbit an augmented version of its product ARCA SATLINK capable to achieve high-speed payload data downlink for Earth Observation missions
After rolling out “ARCA SATLINK”, the first commercial, software-based implementation of the Space Data Link Security (SDLS) protocol by the CCSDS, CYSEC is now announcing a contract with CNES to develop and test in orbit a hybrid version of the product leveraging hardware crypto acceleration on board.
Indeed, a software implementation of the SDLS protocol on board is capable of achieving a dozen Mbps, which is sufficient for Telemetry and Telecommand data uplink and downlink.
However, as the demand for Earth Observation data is growing, more and more satellite operators are flying instruments capable of collecting massive amounts of data that need to be transmitted back to Earth for processing. This is a critical step as radio-frequency links have a large footprint, meaning attackers can easily eavesdrop data that are not protected.
The new development of ARCA SATLINK will enable operators to securely downlink EO data at high speed without compromising on security by adding encryption and authentication mechanisms.
The new ARCA SATLINK product will be flying on a rideshare mission hosted on a U-Space platform with innovative payloads from ACTIA Aerospace, Airbus Defense and Space, STEEL Electronique and ION-X.
“We’re very thankful to the CNES to give us the opportunity to demonstrate in-orbit a solution that is under high demand in the market currently. The IOD/IOV mission will help us measure the actual performances we can achieve using FPGA acceleration and convince our clients about the reliability of the solution” said Anna Barraqué, Head of CYSEC France and ARCA SATLINK Team Leader
Julien Airaud, Space Cybersecurity Senior Expert at CNES added : “The CNES has been involved since the inception of the Space Data Link Security protocol, we’re delighted to see companies like CYSEC turning it into a commercial product and supporting them in developing and testing new capabilities in orbit”
About CYSEC
Established in 2018 by experienced cybersecurity professionals, CYSEC is a prominent European cybersecurity company whose mission is to secure critical space infrastructure. The company is renowned for its pioneering work and is dedicated to crafting end-to-end and off-the-shelf cybersecurity solutions tailored to cutting-edge space missions. Since 2021, CYSEC has also been the organizer of CYSAT, the leading event in space cybersecurity in the world.