Automatic Generation of Certifiable Space Communication Software

Reliable, secure and effective communication between a spacecraft and the ground station, or between multiple spacecraft is central to all space missions. Smooth control of spacecraft and the downlink of mission and science data rely heavily on reliable means of communication. Moreover, heightened needs for operations security in recent years add complexity to communication system requirements. The communication system, therefore, is a highly safety and mission critical component. A single successful malicious attack or a flaw in the code can have serious consequences that put the mission or even human life at risk. We are integrating and adapting a set of existing tools in order to provide a unified end-to-end approach to the design, analysis, implementation, and certification of space communication software. Our tools are based upon rigorous logical and mathematical foundations, and are capable of automatically generating high-quality communication software from a high-level model. Automatic, tamper-proof formal certification techniques are used to provide explicit guarantees about important reliability and security properties and the absence of implementation errors.