Securing Satellite Communications: Real-Time Video Encryption Scheme on Satellite Payloads

TL;DR

The paper tackles securing real-time video transmission on satellite payloads under strict resource and thermal constraints. It introduces two novel 1D chaotic maps to generate fast, low-complexity pseudo-random sequences, implemented in C++ and on FPGA, with a single XOR-based encryption pipeline and binary storage to maximize throughput. Comprehensive security testing (NIST, DIEHARD), differential analyses (NPCR/UACI), and ablation studies show strong randomness, diffusion, and key-sensitivity, achieving real-time performance up to $2K$ in encryption-only mode on embedded hardware and confirming hardware feasibility via FPGA and Raspberry Pi collaborations. The approach demonstrates practical potential for secure, real-time satellite video transmission, with significant implications for remote sensing and disaster-response applications and a pathway toward higher-resolution support and real-satellite deployment.

Abstract

The rapid development of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations and satellite communication systems has elevated the importance of secure video transmission, which is the key to applications such as remote sensing, disaster relief, and secure information exchange. In this context, three serious issues arise concerning real-time encryption of videos on satellite embedded devices: (a) the challenge of achieving real-time performance; (b) the limitations posed by the constrained computing performance of satellite payloads; and (c) the potential for excessive power consumption leading to overheating, thereby escalating safety risks. To overcome these challenges, this study introduced a novel approach for encrypting videos by employing two 1D chaotic maps, which was deployed on a satellite for the first time. The experiment on the satellite confirms that our scheme is suitable for complex satellite environments. In addition, the proposed chaotic maps were implemented on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) platform, and simulation results showed consistency with those obtained on a Raspberry Pi. Experiments on the Raspberry Pi 4B demonstrate exceptional real-time performance and low power consumption, validating both the hardware feasibility and the stability of our design. Rigorous statistical testing also confirms the scheme's resilience against a variety of attacks, underscoring its potential for secure, real-time data transmission in satellite communication systems.

Figures (15)

• Figure 1: Satellite video communication framework and challenges of real-time video encryption on satellite payloads.
• Figure 2: Poincare section of the novel 1D chaotic map: (a) chaotic map (\ref{['chaos']}), (b) chaotic map (\ref{['chaos2']}).
• Figure 3: Visual representation of novel 1D chaotic map: (a) chaotic map (\ref{['chaos']}), (b) chaotic map (\ref{['chaos2']}).
• Figure 4: Encryption process of the proposed algorithm.
• Figure 5: Cropped frames after decrypting binary file from satellite.