The European Space Agency plans to use blockchain technology to combat piracy and improve processes and data security on its space satellites.
Spacechain, a startup company that is dedicated to the research and application of blockchain technology, has just received official support from the European Space Agency (ESA), in order to investigate and determine possible uses of the blockchain wallet system on satellites.
The idea is to take advantage of the benefits that Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) offers.
In a recent statement published by the Spacechain company, it was announced that ESA approved an investment of 60,000 euros in order to initiate investigations, so it will start a project that will boost the effort to bring distributed network of special satellites designed for the system.
It is expected to have high levels of security and a wide scope and management for the agency. Another important aspect of the new project is that Spacechain has already tested the use of blockchain in the outer space.
According to data related to the operation of the system in space, it is important to highlight that the blockchain network will work with a signature authentication system.
In this way, there will be three signatures that validate a transaction made through this channel. Two of these firms will be on the Earth and one on the satellite. It is necessary that two of the three firms give their approval for any movement to be made.
Regarding the security of the satellite blockchain system, Zee Zheng, CEO and Co-founder of Spacechain, explained that the nodes used in the satellite system are much safer than the terrestrial network system normally used with connection to an open Internet network.
It has certain levels of protocols which as a final means would be connected to the satellite, somehow allowing being violated sometime. This, on the other hand, puts the blockchain system at a higher level of security by making the process directly with the satellite, which also allows faster communication between Earth and orbit.
The company emphasized that the system would not need an Internet connection to operate, which represents a major movement against piracy and cyber-attacks. In addition, it is an operational facility greater than any other system with connection to the global network of free data.
“We are seeing a market that last year saw stealing 1 billion dollars in cryptography. That will be much harder for hackers with our system”, Zheng commented.
Zheng said that the financial support that ESA made to its blockchain research represents an important recognition of cryptographic technology and will help develop new tools and applications that can be used for the future in the area of security and treatment of data systems for probes and space satellites. “We want to take this opportunity to show how the space can benefit blockchain space”.
Spacechain notified that in the next 18 months they will conduct different launches, in order to continue studies in the area.
By María Rodríguez
