CyberCUBE, ESA’s mission to strengthen the cybersecurity of space systems, successfully launched from California

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) CyberCUBE mission, designed to strengthen the protection of space assets against growing cyber threats, has been successfully launched today from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The mission, led by the multinational technology company GMV through its teams in Romania and Spain, also involves Alén Space, a pioneering New Space company that has been part of GMV since 2023. 

The successful launch of the satellite into orbit marks the start of a pioneering mission designed to validate cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies and capabilities applied to the space environment under real-world conditions. CyberCUBE is part of the Cyber Evolutions activities of ESA’s Cybersecurity Operations Center (CSOC) within the framework of the Cyber Security Resilience programme, a cross-cutting initiative led by the Agency’s Security Office to strengthen the protection of both its corporate systems and its space missions.

CyberCUBE was designed as an in-orbit experimentation platform capable of providing ESA with a secure, flexible, and reconfigurable environment for demonstrating new cybersecurity technologies before they are incorporated into future European missions. The mission’s main goal is to validate the CSOC’s data monitoring and analysis capabilities using actual space assets. At the same time, it will make it possible to test new onboard cyber capabilities and collect critical information to improve the resilience of space systems against emerging threats.

Highlights of the planned experiments include detection and protection against unauthorised access to command-and-control systems, identification and mitigation of jamming and spoofing attacks, monitoring of onboard systems, and the validation of new cybersecurity algorithms – such as post quantum cryptography (PQC)- applications, and technologies. The platform will also make it possible to carry out practical exercises and advanced experiments inspired by real-world cyberdefence environments. To support this objective, ESA issued an open call for experiment proposals, inviting researchers, engineers, and innovators to test new technologies, methods, algorithms, protocols, and techniques in the field of cybersecurity applied to space systems using CyberCUBE.

Responsibility end-to-end

The GMV team in Romania is responsible for the mission’s entire life cycle, from the initial design and development phases through launch, initial in-orbit operations, the commissioning phase, and the handover of operational control to ESA. For Romania, the mission represents a major milestone. CyberCUBE is the first ESA mission to be led end-to-end by GMV in Romania, marking the first time a company based in Romania has taken responsibility for an ESA mission throughout its entire lifecycle. This achievement demonstrates the country's growing capabilities in the design, development and delivery of complex space missions. Beyond its technological significance, the project contributes to strengthening national expertise in two strategic domains: space and cybersecurity.

The flight segment is based on a 3U CubeSat developed by Alén Space, equipped with cutting-edge reprogrammable processing capabilities and a payload specifically designed for cybersecurity monitoring. The platform draws on Alén Space’s experience in small satellite missions and provides the in-orbit environment required to test cybersecurity technologies under real operational conditions. During its time in orbit, the platform will collect essential data on vulnerabilities, threats, and protection mechanisms applicable to future space systems.

In addition to the space segment, the GMV team in Spain has developed key components of the ground segment, including the Alén Space mission control center—built on GMV’s commercial FocusSuite^® solution—as well as a representative flatsat together with the Romanian team that will make it possible to simulate and validate various operational scenarios. Meanwhile, ESA’s CSOC will serve as the primary user segment, managing mission requests and processing the information obtained for cybersecurity analysis.

The satellite’s operations will be managed from ESA’s European Space Safety and Education Centre (ESEC) in Redu, Belgium, while the European Space Operations Centre’s (ESOC) FOX infrastructure will provide S-band and X-band communication capabilities for high-speed data download and radio frequency sampling.

After successfully completing the launch and early orbit phase (LEOP) and the commissioning phase, the GMV Romanian team will transfer operational control of CyberCUBE to ESA for nominal operations. The results obtained will help define the Agency’s future space cybersecurity strategies and accelerate the implementation of new protection solutions in upcoming missions.

A strategic step for Europe

The growing number of threats targeting critical infrastructure and space systems has made cybersecurity a strategic priority for the sector’s future. CyberCUBE will provide ESA with a single platform for testing, validating, and maturing technologies in a real-world operational environment, thereby reducing risks and accelerating the adoption of these technologies.

This mission further establishes GMV as one of Europe’s leading players in space technologies and cybersecurity, with the company providing cutting-edge capabilities that will help protect future European space infrastructure.

"ESA would like to thank GMV and Alen Space for the successful deployment and first signal acquisition of CyberCUBE. After less than 2 years from the starting of the project, we are happy to begin, for the first time, a mission dedicated to the maturation of cyber security solutions for space missions. The technology available in CyberCUBE will allow different kinds of experiments to be ran, from radio frequency to application level, giving the opportunity to materialise ideas in concrete solutions. We are convinced that CyberCUBE will pave the way for the adoption of advanced security measures onboard the future ESA missions." commented Massimo Panzeri, Director of Space Programme Accreditation and Cybersecurity at ESA Security Office.

 “The successful launch of CyberCUBE demonstrates the growing maturity of Romania's space ecosystem and the value of sustained participation in ESA programs, with the support of the National Research Authority (ANC) and the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA). We are proud to see a mission led by a Romanian company reach this important milestone, showcasing the expertise developed by Romanian specialists in advanced space technologies and cybersecurity. This achievement confirms that strategic investments in innovation and international cooperation strengthen Romania's position as a trusted contributor to Europe's space ambitions." said Daniel-Eugeniu Crunteanu, Director General of the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA).

"CyberCUBE is an achievement not only for GMV in Romania, but for the entire Romanian space sector, representing a mature success story delivered in an important ESA program. We have demonstrated that Romanian experts can lead an ESA mission end to end, and completing all these stages under the European Space Agency’s extremely rigorous supervision has strengthened our local capabilities and expertise, opening up new opportunities for the future.Our strategy is to build on this experience to carry out even more complex space missions in the future, in a key field such as space safety and security. In achieving these medium- and long-term plans, the support of the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA) in engaging Romania in ESA optional programs is critical. Only through these contributions to ESA can Romania continue to attract such investments and develop niche capabilities that will make it competitive at European and international level.” said Cristian Chițu, Space Director at GMV in Romania.

“CyberCUBE is a clear example of how small satellites can help validate critical technologies in real operational conditions. We are proud to contribute the 3U CubeSat platform for a mission that will help strengthen the cybersecurity of future European space systems,” said Guillermo Lamelas, CEO of Alén Space.

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