Forwarded message:
Date: Sun, 6 Jul 1997 06:43:06 -0400 (edt) From: Ryan Anderson <randerso@ece.eng.wayne.edu> Subject: Re: Hack the Mars rover
Somehow, I don't think that's the place to mount an attempt to take it over. The prohibitive cost of getting an antenna into space where you can counter some of the effects of Earth's spin and keep the damn rover in contact all the time would be the biggest problem.
The place to attack is the up-link. This requires physical access (ie a van with a dish and xmtr.) as well as a means to crack the encryption on the control channels. At least one French satellite has been cracked and de-orbited via a network attack.
Besides, how much encryption is needed between two points if intercepting the traffic is expensive, the communications protocol is undocumented (as far as anyone outside NASA is concerned), and the actual frequency is also hard to find?
The communications are not only documented but easily observable with the correct commercialy available equipment. The frequencies are a matter of public record, I would further bet that 5 minutes with a search engine would bring that data to light...
The place to hack any deep-space mission is at its terminus. Even with the incredible receiveing equipment at each of the controlling earth stations (e.g., Goldstone off of I395 between Barstow and Mammoth Lakes, CA) the link margin, that is the minimum required signal/noise vs. actual for the specified bit rate, can't be too healthy. The antennas are huge, very directional, parabolic dishes, but even the best have a bit of side-lobe receiption (that's why they're located in remote areas, usualy surrounded by hills). One can exploit these side-lobe to jam in inbound signal. Depending upon the transmission/modulation scheme, only a simple, low-powered, transmitter with line-of-sight to the parabolic dish could overwhelm the Rover signal. Getting such a 'shot' at the antenna might be difficult from the ground. --Steve PGP mail preferred Fingerprint: FE 90 1A 95 9D EA 8D 61 81 2E CC A9 A4 4A FB A9 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Schear | tel: (702) 658-2654 CEO | fax: (702) 658-2673 First ECache Corporation | 7075 West Gowan Road | Suite 2148 | Las Vegas, NV 89129 | Internet: azur@netcom.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- I know not what instruments others may use, but as for me, give me Ecache or give me debt. SHOW ME THE DIGITS!