QUAntum-SAfe Reprogrammability of critical avionics functions​

Long-term secure digital signature standard XMSS

The goal of the Quasar project is to implement a prototype of the long-term secure digital signature standard XMSS, currently securing in-flight FPGA updates, in a design that can meet the safety criteria posed by critical avionics functions.

The technical works include the design of a set of in-flight updatable critical avionics functions and the implementation of the design at the breadboard level using FPGA technology. Finally, the Project Team will test and demonstrate the update of the critical avionics’ functions with a different cryptographic or coding algorithm to ensure cryptographic agility. The ESA plan to use this solution in future satellite communication to update the data as soon as possible.