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Villanova University’s College of Engineering is sending a private Ethereum blockchain into space to test whether distributed ledger (DLT) technology can help satellites exchange data.
Working in partnership with the non-profit Teachers in Space, the Villanova engineering school secured a flight for its blockchain on a Firefly Aerospace rocket scheduled for launch on November 20 from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will carry a “Serenity” satellite that will include Villanova’s private blockchain mounted on a Raspberry Pi, a single-board computer the size of a credit card.
Hasshi Sudler, an adjunct professor at Villanova who leads this project, said the large number of communications and other types of satellites already in space have focused on how blockchain technology could help this sector. Currently, there are nearly 2,800 artificial satellites orbiting the Earth, 1,425 of which belong to the United States, according to data collected by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
This concentration of satellites in space means there may be limitations on launching new satellites in the future, Sudler said. But this also creates an opportunity to reduce the number of new satellites needed by creating a way to allow existing satellites to communicate with each other.
“We want to be able to allow satellites to leverage existing data that current satellites have, but this raises the question of how to carry out the transfer and ensure the transaction has taken place, while also making sure it has been paid for. And this is where blockchain plays a unique role, “he said.
According to Sudler, moving data from one satellite to another can be a lengthy process involving multiple ground stations staying in contact with the satellite. Using a blockchain network to transact this data could reduce these requirements and lower the operating costs of maintaining ground stations if satellites could “talk” to each other in space.
The blockchain that will be sent into space uses a Proof-of-Authority consensus mechanism as a way to minimize energy needs, which can be quite significant compared to those mechanisms commonly used in public blockchains.
In an e-mailed statement, Villanova said the satellite will remain in low Earth orbit (altitude of 1,200 miles or less) for 30 days. The first 15 days will be used for controlled blockchain experiments conducted by the researchers, followed by 15 days of testing to measure transaction performance under heavy traffic conditions.
Using the blockchain can also correct another problem when it comes to satellites: their movements. “If you have multiple satellites talking to each other and moving in and out of each other quickly enough, it’s hard for the whole network to establish a consensus very quickly,” Sudler said.
According to the university’s statement, the flight scheduled for November 20 is the first of many aimed at testing how low-Earth orbit satellites could transact using a private blockchain.
