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For the first time, participants in the US Space Force’s annual “Hack-A-Sat” competition were tasked with breaking into a real satellite in space. The competition, held at the international hacker conference DEF CON in Las Vegas, aimed to test the vulnerabilities of US Air Force satellites against potential cyber threats.

Out of over 700 applicants, five teams were chosen to strategically hack into the US Air Force Moonlighter satellite, which orbits the Earth at a speed of 5 miles per second. The objective was to establish a data link with the satellite while preventing other competing teams from doing so.

The winners of the competition were the Italian team mHACKeroni, who received prizes of up to ,000 for successfully exposing the satellite’s vulnerabilities. Last year’s winners, the Poland-based “Poland Can Into Space,” came in second and won ,000, while the UK-US joint team jmp fs:[rcx] received ,000.

While the competition had a playful tone, it highlighted the growing security threat posed by satellite hacking. The ability to hack into satellites can have significant geopolitical consequences, as demonstrated in 2022 when Russia targeted the American satellite company Viasat just hours before deploying troops in Ukraine. This attack resulted in a loss of communication during the initial days of the invasion.

Leaked classified documents also revealed China’s development of technology to seize control of enemy satellites as part of their military strategy.

By conducting the Hack-A-Sat competition, the US Space Force aims to identify gaps in cybersecurity defenses and ensure the protection of critical space infrastructure against potential attacks from rival states like Russia and China.

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