Prototype system strengthens military satellite communications by rapidly refreshing cryptographic keys

At any given moment, a U.S. Air Force pilot may be maneuvering an aircraft midmission, a U.S. Navy officer resurfacing a submarine after weeks undersea or a U.S. Army technician offloading drone data in a combat zone. Each operation depends on satellite communications (satcom) and, specifically, on cryptographic keys that allow terminals to communicate securely while keeping adversaries locked out.