Cyber + Space Observatory

The Cyber + Space Observatory (CSO) is an interdisciplinary research initiative hosted by the Cyber & Data Security Lab at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). It offers rigorous analysis and policy-relevant insights into the cybersecurity of space systems within the European Union, supporting the development of the European debate on protecting space-based services and infrastructures.

As digitalisation accelerates all around us, space technologies underpin essential capabilities, from global communications and navigation to transportation, energy infrastructure, and other critical systems. At the same time, the space ecosystem depends on complex, multi-tier supply chains and tightly interconnected ground–space segments, which introduce cyber risks across design, procurement, operations, and downstream service delivery. These risks include targeted attacks (e.g., DoS, spoofing, and data interception), as well as accidental vulnerabilities that can compromise confidentiality, integrity, availability, and overall service reliability and resilience.

The CSO examines the growing interface between cybersecurity and the space sector, driven by emerging developments such as satellite constellations, artificial intelligence, cloud integration, post-quantum cryptography, and the increasing convergence of space assets with terrestrial services and applications.

Key research areas include: EU space regulation and the governance framework of the EU Space Programme (including the role of EUSPA); governance, security and resilience frameworks for communication networks; integration of 5G/6G and cloud computing with space systems; development of cohesive EU rules for space data and data sharing; empirical and legal analysis of cyberattacks targeting space infrastructure; public–private partnerships (PPPs) and security-by-design incentives; space capabilities as a means of supporting EU strategic autonomy.

Through collaboration with experts, European institutions, academics across law and engineering, and international stakeholders, the CSO promotes a grassroots, evidence-based, and interdisciplinary approach. It produces peer-reviewed research and contributes to conferences, workshops, seminars, and international forums, strengthening VUB’s work at the intersection of Law, Science, Technology, and Society, while addressing pressing questions in EU space cybersecurity governance.