On the Potential of TESLA Protocol for NGEO Satellite Networks
11th International Conference on Recent Advances in Air and Space Technologies, Conference Program, RAST 2026, İstanbul, Türkiye, 13 - 15 Mayıs 2026, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
- Doi Numarası: 10.1109/rast69551.2026.11672524
- Basıldığı Şehir: İstanbul
- Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
- Anahtar Kelimeler: free-space path loss, NGEO satellite networks, slant-range propagation, TESLA authentication
- Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This paper presents a physics-aware performance analysis of the Timed Efficient Stream Loss-tolerant Authentication (TESLA) protocol for non-Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (NGEO) satellite networks. Recognizing the vulnerability of broadcast communications to spoofing and the strict computational limits of asymmetric cryptography in space, we evaluate TESLA's symmetric delayed key disclosure mechanism under realistic Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite network conditions. Unlike standard static models, we introduce a simulation framework that incorporates slant-range geometry and elevation-dependent stochastic models to dynamically calculate propagation delay, network jitter, and Free-Space Path Loss (FSPL). Furthermore, a dynamic disclosure delay algorithm is proposed and evaluated to maintain strict security margins across varying orbital regimes. The simulation results quantify the protocol's loss-tolerance and highlight critical trade-offs between authentication latency, receiver buffer occupancy, and the computational overhead required for hash-chain recovery during severe channel degradation.