Hack the Hemisphere: Uplinking to a Geostationary Satellite
Karl Koscher and Andrew Green share how they legally acquired an uplink license to broadcast audio streams across the Western Hemisphere using an old satellite.
Summary
An Unprecedented Satellite Research Opportunity
The Shadytel research cabal obtained legal FCC authorization to uplink signals to a vacant transponder slot on a decommissioning geostationary communications satellite.
Sourcing and Modifying Ground Station Hardware
Karl Koscher and Andrew Green detail sourcing surplus commercial dish antennas, feed horns, and high-power traveling-wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs).
Configuring DVB-S and SDR Transmission Chains
The speakers explain aligning the dish to the orbital slot, matching transponder frequency plans, and transmitting digital broadcast streams via open-source SDR tools.
Transcontinental RF Coverage and Lessons Learned
The authors present telemetry captures and broadcast reception logs spanning North America, sharing practical advice for satellite security research.
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