Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost of Florida’s 10th congressional district and Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia’s eighth congressional district have proposed legislation that would require manufacturers seeking to build spacecraft for NASA to provide a plan detailing the protections that would be put in place to safeguard the spacecraft from cyber attacks.
The proposal, titled the Spacecraft Cybersecurity Act, mandates that NASA revise its spacecraft acquisition standards to incorporate cybersecurity requirements. The space agency would have 270 following the bill’s enactment to prepare a plan for the acquisition policy update, Frost’s office said Wednesday.
The lawmakers put forward the legislation amid cyberattacks being directed at NASA by various adversaries. Such attacks, if aimed at spacecraft, might not only result in mission failure but also national security data theft or even a fatal loss of spacecraft control.
“As we enter a new era of cyber threats, establishing a reasonable timeline for NASA to incorporate cybersecurity measures into their acquisition process is more important than ever. The Spacecraft Cybersecurity Act would safeguard NASA’s space missions and continue to advance our country’s leadership in space exploration that contributes to our economy, security, and understanding of space,” Frost commented.
For his part, Beyer said, “Our legislation will ensure that NASA has comprehensive, high quality cybersecurity measures in place to protect sensitive information related to vital space infrastructure and secure the continuity of space operations.”