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The Spacecraft Hacker's Handbook

The Spacecraft Hacker's Handbook

Exploiting Ground Stations, Flight Software, and Satellite Terminals
by Andrzej Olchawa and Milenko Starcik
Available September 2026, 350 pp.
ISBN-13: 
9781718504745
Use coupon code PREORDER to get 25% off!

Download Chapter 2: The Threat Landscape

The Spacecraft Hacker’s Handbook pulls back the curtain on modern space missions, showing how hackers target spacecraft and how you can stop them. Written by two of the field’s top offensive security experts, this hands-on guide blends real-world case studies with step-by-step labs.

Inside you’ll discover:

  • How space systems really work, from ground stations to satellites
  • How real-world attacks happen, including jamming, spoofing, malware, and advanced persistent threats
  • Hands-on space hacking—practice in a safe virtual lab environment with telemetry analysis, ground station testing, and spacecraft software exploits
  • Threat modeling for space—use frameworks like OWASP Threat Dragon and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to assess risks
  • Why space security is the next frontier of cybersecurity

Whether you’re a security professional, aerospace engineer, military personnel, or curious hacker, this is the ultimate field manual for protecting (and probing) the systems that keep our world—and beyond—running.

Author Bio 

Andrzej Olchawa is an offensive security researcher with 15+ years of experience in the space industry. He specializes in vulnerability research and exploit development for spacecraft and has presented at DEF CON, Black Hat, and multiple BSides events.

Milenko Starcik is Head of Cybersecurity at VisionSpace Technologies, leading initiatives to secure critical space infrastructure. With a Master’s in Electrical Engineering and deep expertise in telecommunications and cyber defense, he’s a frequent speaker at global space security conferences.

Table of contents 

Acknowledgments
Introduction

PART I: FOUNDATIONS OF SPACE SECURITY
Chapter 1: A Space Security Primer
Chapter 2: The Threat Landscape

Chapter 3: Security Testing

PART II: THE GROUND SEGMENT
Chapter 4: Ground-Space Communications
Chapter 5: Mission Control Systems
Chapter 6: Exploiting Ground Segment Protocols
Chapter 7: Hacking Ground Systems

PART III: THE SPACE SEGMENT
Chapter 8: Onboard Software
Chapter 9: Spacecraft Hacking

PART IV: THE USER SEGMENT
Chapter 10: Attacking SATCOM Terminals
Chapter 11: Exploiting Global Navigation Satellite Systems

Appendix A: The Space Sector
Appendix B: Space Systems

Index

The chapters in red are included in this Early Access PDF.

Reviews 

"I highly recommend The Spacecraft Hacker's Handbook to anyone interested in understanding how today's space infrastructure really works. . . . It is not only an excellent resource for engineers and cybersecurity and space professionals but also an engaging and accessible read for anyone who wants to better understand the opportunities, challenges, and security of the modern space domain."
—Marcin Mazur, Vice President, Polish Space Agency

"This book is a mandatory read for space security professionals and an essential read for spacecraft operators involved in all mission phases. Furthermore, its methodologies are highly valuable for blue and red team security experts operating in adjacent sectors such as financial services and defense/dual-use."
—Artur M. Palowski, Innovation Officer, European Space Agency

"With its high-level overviews, low-level protocols, and hands-on sections, this book has everything you need to launch into spacecraft hacking."
—Gynvael Coldwind, founder of Dragon Sector CTF Team

"A much-needed bridge for cybersecurity people to understand spacecraft, and for spacecraft people to understand cybersecurity."
—Scott Manley, YouTuber

"A timely, approachable, and hands-on guide to the rapidly evolving field of space cybersecurity. With impressive technical depth, Olchawa and Starcik demonstrate how modern space systems can be attacked and defended."
—Stephen Carver, Researcher in Spaceflight Systems Security

"The best technical books do more than catalog vulnerabilities; they teach readers how to move from architecture and attack surface to root cause, exploitation, and real-world impact. The Spacecraft Hacker's Handbook does exactly that across the ground, space, and user segments, making one of security's most specialized domains practical and approachable without sacrificing technical depth."
—Stephen Sims, SANS Institute Fellow and founder of Off By One Security

"The Spacecraft Hacker's Handbook provides a thoughtful look into the risks, threats, and challenges that are unique to securing systems on orbit. Where it deviates from other books in the space is that it also dives deep into how to do security testing for each segment of a space system. It's the only space security book I've read that both talks about the high-level systems as well as protocol-level exploits. With this book, you can go from basically no space experience at all to writing exploits against space control systems and protocols."
—Jason "dade" Strange, Hacker & Security Engineer

"You basically have two choices: (1) buy this book, or (2) pay the ransom to the criminals who will break into your spacecraft. As someone who works at an institution where hackers daily try to break in and control our Mars rovers, I recommend option 1."
—Artur Chmielewski, Project Manager, NASA

"Delivers a practical, hands-on introduction to space system security. All relevant concepts are handled, from threat mapping and protocols to tooling and hardware analysis. A good start if you want to step into space system security."
—Florian Göhler

"This book covers one of the most important issues of our time."
—Tiago Loureiro, Head of the Solar System Exploration Missions Operations, European Space Agency

"A refreshingly different take on space cybersecurity. Thorough, highly technical, and packed with practical insight, it's an outstanding starting point and a valuable long-term reference for offensive security professionals. For anyone pursuing a career in space security research or penetration testing, this is essential reading and nearly a one-stop shop for building the knowledge and skills needed to succeed."
—Brandon Bailey, creator and lead of SPARTA

"The Spacecraft Hacker's Handbook demystifies space security better than any other introduction I have encountered. Its clear explanations and reproducible labs give newcomers an approachable path into the field, while experienced security researchers gain the detailed understanding of space infrastructure, technologies, and attack surfaces needed to apply their existing offensive-security skills effectively."
—Adam 'pi3' Zabrocki, creator of LKRG, Phrack author, and co-designer of RISC-V security extensions

Extra Stuff 

A repository of code for this title can be found at the book's GitHub page.