[ixfo]

Yes, CCSDS Magenta and Blue reference books mandate AES-256-GCM as a minimum for data encryption and mandate that encryption and authentication should be used, particularly for commands/uplink. Sliding scale of requirements based on application of course - your cubesat's imaging system is less critical than the flight termination system on a manned mission, for instance.

[xxpor]

Fwiw, sat c&c is the one thing you're allowed to use encryption on the Amateur radio bands for.

[adgjlsfhk1]

how is that enforceable? you can't determine what the encrypted communication is.

[monocasa]

Same as anything in amateur radio. There'll be a lot of hints at what you're doing from the shape of your broadcasts, and there's a lot of amateur radio enthusiasts that'll call the feds on you if they get a hint that you aren't following the rules.

[zemb]

radio enthusiasts are fans of the fed?

[monocasa]

They're generally very into enforcing the FCC rules, and calling the feds is one mechanism for doing that.

[8bitsrule]

Here's an ARRL article from 11-2016 (re the shutdown of 11 FCC field stations) which details plans and motivations.

https://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-special-counsel-laura-smith-sa...

In a more recent post (which includes good suggestions for experimenters):

> The ham bands aren’t full of whacked-out haters looking to get rid of everybody else, but hams are very accustomed to people using the bands without a license or not following the band plans, causing interference problems.

https://thesilicongraybeard.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-ham-radio...

Usually the 'self-policing' by hams (it's usually very effective) is done gently. They get that the frequencies are free of $$cost, and don't want to lose (any more of) them.