Space Cybersecurity Innovation Through AI and OrbitWhisperer

Rosa Szurgot, professor of Cyber Intelligence and Security at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, recently presented OrbitWhisperer, an AI-driven satellite-resilience framework, to NATO’s Science and Technology Office in Riga, Latvia.

Szurgot began to develop the technology after identifying a critical gap in satellite cybersecurity.

"Modern satellites operate in an environment where cyber, physical and radio-frequency threats intersect in ways we’ve never experienced before,” she explained. “Most current space systems still rely on legacy firmware, limited onboard computing and assumptions that the space environment remains ‘benign.’"After determining the issue, Szurgot felt that implementing AI capabilities was the clear solution.

“OrbitWhisperer emerged from a simple question: What if a satellite could learn from its own telemetry, recognize early warning signs and protect itself in real time?” she said. “That capability — resilient autonomy — felt both urgently needed and technically achievable with the right blend of AI and cybersecurity.”

How OrbitWhisperer Works

OrbitWhisperer implements two types of technology currently used in satellite cybersecurity: fuzzing and machine learning. However, Szurgot’s technology takes a different approach than typical methods.

“Traditionally, fuzzing and machine learning are used separately — fuzzing uncovers software vulnerabilities, while machine learning analyzes telemetry or communication patterns. OrbitWhisperer blends the two,” she explained.

“We treat fuzzing not just as a testing method, but as a generator of synthetic satellite failures that train our models to recognize real anomalies. This helps overcome a major challenge in space cybersecurity: the scarcity of labeled failure data. OrbitWhisperer essentially produces a system that is more adaptable, less dependent on handcrafted signatures and better suited for the unpredictable nature of space operations.”

Developing OrbitWhisperer also required collaboration with other disciplines, such as mathematics and aerospace engineering, which came with both challenges and advantages.

“Mathematicians helped us formalize anomaly patterns, cybersecurity experts ensured our threat models reflected realistic adversarial behavior and aerospace engineers kept us grounded in the physics and constraints of actual satellites,” she said.

“The biggest challenge was translation — each discipline has its own vocabulary, assumptions and ways of defining ‘risk.’ But bringing those perspectives together was ultimately our greatest advantage.”

Experience for Undergraduates

In addition to the collaboration between disciplines, OrbitWhisperer also created an opportunity for collaboration between Szurgot and her students.

“This project let students operate at the frontier of aerospace and cybersecurity in a very real and transformative way,” she said.

“Avalon Crowder (‘29), an Aerospace Engineering student, played a key role in shaping how OrbitWhisperer was interpreted and communicated. She designed the research poster that was presented at the AI Summit, and her insightful questions about subsystem behavior and telemetry patterns significantly strengthened the aerospace focus of the project.”

“Jungsoo Noh (’26), a Cyber Intelligence and Security student, was equally instrumental behind the scenes. He helped develop and refine the presentation materials, prepared slide decks and supported multiple rehearsal sessions leading into the NATO briefing. His attention to detail ensured the clarity, pacing and professionalism of the final presentation. For Jungsoo, this experience was a valuable stepping stone as he prepares to continue his education at the graduate level — it gave him early insight into how high-stakes research communication is done on the international stage.”

Making International Strides with NATO

OrbitWhisperer was selected through NATO’s Science & Technology Organization (STO) Technical Activities process, which helps identify research that has potential implications for allied defense. The group’s abstract was reviewed by an international panel, and they were invited to present their research at NATO’s offices in Riga.

“The reception was extremely positive. Many attendees expressed that the integration of fuzzing, AI and cybersecurity into one cohesive satellite-resilience framework filled a gap they had been grappling with in their own work,” she said. “Several delegations were interested in exploring how OrbitWhisperer might translate into their operational environments.”

“The Swedish Defence Research Agency was particularly curious about how the framework could be adapted for evaluation in their classified test environments, asking detailed questions about deployment pathways and data-handling requirements. Similarly, representatives from the Royal Netherlands Air Force expressed interest in experimentally validating the tool within their own satellite and hybrid-architecture research programs.”

There were also some attendees who questioned OrbitWhisperer and its potential role in real defense scenarios.

“At the same time, the German Defence Research Center sought clarity on the system’s intent — they wanted to ensure OrbitWhisperer was a defensive, analytical tool rather than a hacking mechanism,” she said. “Once we explained the methodology, the safeguards and the strictly defensive nature of the system, the tone shifted immediately. The concept resonated strongly with their broader goals for autonomous cyber-resilience.”

“After those clarifications, the atmosphere became overwhelmingly supportive. One conversation that particularly stood out was with a European researcher who noted that OrbitWhisperer could complement emerging digital-twin programs for space assets,” she said. “That reinforced the idea that the project has relevance far beyond academic exploration — it could meaningfully support operational readiness across diverse allied environments.”

Looking Ahead for OrbitWhisperer

For OrbitWhisperer’s future, Szurgot foresees refining its technology, continuing collaboration with NATO and preparing the research for journal publication.

“The work presented at the NATO meeting in Riga serves as the foundation for that publication — this presentation paper is the first formal step toward making OrbitWhisperer accessible to the broader research community,” she said.

“Longer-term, we intend to integrate OrbitWhisperer into digital-twin environments to evaluate its performance under realistic orbital dynamics and operational constraints,” she shared. “The ultimate vision is to develop a lightweight, deployable module that satellite operators can incorporate directly into their architectures to enhance autonomy, anomaly detection and cyber resilience.”

“From an Embry-Riddle standpoint, we hope to bring OrbitWhisperer into defense-relevant test environments and begin active collaboration with international partners responsible for satellite operations and space security. This is a natural evolution of the project: moving from academic research into applied, operationally meaningful experimentation.”