safemode.space
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EX-0012.08
ST0004Execution
sub-technique

Attitude Determination & Control Subsystem

Parent: EX-0012

Description

ADCS depends on tightly coupled models and parameters: star-tracker catalogs and masks, sensor alignments and bias terms, gyro scale factors and drift rates, estimator covariances and process/measurement noise, controller gains and saturation limits, wheel/CMG torque constants, magnetic torquer maps, and sun sensor thresholds. Editing these values skews estimation or control, producing slow bias, limit cycles, loss of lock, or abrupt safing triggers. For example, a small change to a star-tracker mask can force frequent dropouts; an inflated gyro bias drives the filter away from truth; softened actuator limits or mis-set gains let disturbances accumulate; altered sun-point entry criteria cause unnecessary mode switches. Secondary impacts propagate to power, thermal, and communications because pointing and geometry underpin array generation, radiator view factors, and antenna gain. The technique turns the spacecraft against itself by nudging the parameters that close the loop between what the vehicle believes and how it responds.

Mappings

EU regulation articles

  • craAnnex I, Part I, (2)(d)
    addresses
    moderate
    derived

    Authentication bounds who can issue ADCS-parameter modifications.

  • craAnnex I, Part I, (2)(f)
    addresses
    high
    derived

    Integrity protection on ADCS parameters (star-tracker catalogs, sensor alignments, gyro biases) ensures attitude-control integrity.

  • eu-space-actArt. 81(3)
    addresses
    high
    direct

    ADCS parameters (sensor alignments, estimator covariances, controller gains) are critical-function configuration; 81(3)(b)'s access restriction limits who can write to these.

  • eu-space-actArt. 84(2)
    addresses
    moderate
    direct

    ADCS configuration tables held in network and information systems require 84(2)'s integrity protections per Annex VII point 5.1.

  • nis2Art. 21(2)(b)
    addresses
    moderate
    derived

    Pointing-anomalies, frequent star-tracker dropouts, unexplained sun-point entries, and limit-cycle behaviour are detectable from ADCS telemetry; Art. 21(2)(b)'s incident-handling capability must surface those signals.

  • nis2Art. 21(2)(i)
    addresses
    moderate
    direct

    Star-tracker masks, sensor alignments, gyro biases, estimator covariances, controller gains, and actuator saturation limits are access-controlled engineering configuration; Art. 21(2)(i)'s access-control + asset-management obligation governs edits to those parameters.

  • nis2-implAnnex 11.3.1
    addresses
    moderate
    derived

    ADCS-parameter modification authority is privileged; the privileged-account policy bounds the population and applies the review obligations that detect misuse.

  • nis2-implAnnex 6.4.1
    addresses
    moderate
    derived

    ADCS parameters (star-tracker catalogs, sensor alignments, gyro biases, estimator covariances) are change-managed configuration; modifications must flow through documented procedures.

ENISA controls

  • ENISA-STL-2025-03-sD.20-i02
    addresses
    moderate

    Criticality analysis identifying attitude determination and control as mission-critical is governance relevance that prioritises protection around it, but it does not itself actively prevent or detect parameter manipulation.

  • ENISA-STL-2025-03-sD.24-i07
    addresses
    high

    Real-time physics-model verification of bus inputs is precisely what catches forged ADCS setpoints that violate dynamics constraints.

  • ENISA-STL-2025-03-sD.24-i08
    mitigates
    moderate

    Process-ID whitelisting restricts which IDs can issue ADCS commands at the bus interface.

Cross-reference controls

SPARTA countermeasures

Cite as SafeMode Space, EX-0012.08 (SPARTA v3.2).

Built 2026-07-25 from 216 techniques, 334 regulation articles, 125 ENISA controls, 2,610 framework controls, and 90 countermeasures.