D-Orbit and mhackeroni Conclude Europe’s First Operational Spacecraft Cybersecurity Competition
London, UK (SPX) – November 10, 2025
D-Orbit, a distinguished name in orbital logistics, in collaboration with the ethical hacking team mhackeroni, has successfully wrapped up CTRLSpace CTF, Europe’s pioneering cybersecurity competition utilizing an operational spacecraft as its testing ground.
The event, held at ESA ESTEC in the Netherlands and endorsed by the European Space Agency’s Security Cyber Centre of Excellence and Security Office, featured five teams engaging in live scenarios aboard the ION Satellite Carrier.
This competition rigorously tested the finalists, challenging them to detect and exploit vulnerabilities embedded within actual spacecraft systems.
Participants were tasked with analyzing genuine telemetry data, dispatching command sequences, and interacting with onboard software to unveil potential security vulnerabilities.
Notably, 559 teams entered the qualifiers, leading to the submission of 660 correct flags across 25 meticulously prepared challenges, with Superflat ultimately claiming victory.
“Cybersecurity has emerged as a cornerstone of the burgeoning space economy,” remarked Grazia Bibiano, D-Orbit’s Country Leader for Portugal.
“At D-Orbit, we embed security from the initial design phases, as it must be an inherent aspect of every system we launch into orbit.”
Davide Avanzi, D-Orbit’s Head of Space and Product Security, emphasized the intricacies of protecting space infrastructure, stating, “This is one of the most arduous engineering dilemmas of our era.
Through a security-by-design methodology, we bolster mission resilience, ensure data integrity, and cultivate trust in future space services.”
Daniele Lain from mhackeroni highlighted the unique challenges posed by the space environment regarding the competition’s intricacies. Antonios Atlasis, ESA’s Head of System Security Section, added, “The cybersecurity safeguarding of space missions is imperative.
The successful execution of CTRLSpace CTF not only offered students from across Europe the chance to engage in realistic cybersecurity challenges aboard real satellites, but it also demonstrated the feasibility of implementing robust cybersecurity measures in satellites, even under formidable security scenarios.”
The event leveraged three active ION satellites for live exploits and telemetry, all conducted within secured environments detached from commercial operations.
CTRLSpace CTF effectively bridged the cybersecurity and space sectors, prioritizing the safeguarding of orbital infrastructure amidst the evolving space economy.
Source link: Spacewar.com.
