Companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, but also national space agencies around the globe such as NASA are actively exploring the implementation of emerging technologies.
Within the distributed ledger technology industry, the most emerging and high performance technology is Hashgraph.
Hashgraph solves all of the shortcomings of the predecessor technology Blockchain.
At its core layer it is able to perform trillions of transactions per second with shards (Ethereum does 14 transactions per second) whilst consuming 970.000.000 times less Energy than first generation Blockchains. It is the greenest distributed ledger technology in the world (UCL).
At the same time, it’s asynchronous Byzantine fault tolerance and post quantum security make it a superior technology to traditional Blockchain networks in every way.
Due to its low resource intensity, the Hashgraph is also the cheapest, most used network in the world.
Where does space come into play?
The applications of Hashgraph technology in the space industry are vast. In this article, we will look at the following use cases:
- Secure Satellite Communication & Payment Networks
- Tokenisation of Resources from Asteroid Mining
- Space Supply Chain Management
- Tracking & Management of Space Traffic
- Smart Contracts for autonomous spacecrafts
The use cases for Hashgraph go far beyond the things covered in this article. We will discuss more during a live X (FKA Twitter) Spaces on December 6th 12PM PST
Secure Satellite Communication and Payment Networks
One of the main goals of SpaceX’s Starlink is to make uncensored, fast and secure internet connectivity available to anyone, anywhere on earth (& beyond).
However, the internet access that Starlink currently provides is dependent on the server infrastructure on earth. The 8000+ data centres on earth are powering the majority of the internet today.
In case of a global nuclear fallout or a targeted attack on these data centres, the best satellite infrastructure will be useless.
The Department of Energy, Department of Defense and National Science Foundation funded Taekion which is built on Hashgraph in order to secure the US Energy infrastructure
With Hashgraph technology + Starlink, the risk of the destruction of vital Internet infrastructure (data centres) can be contained and one day nullified
This is how…
Introducing Starnet
By turning every Starlink satellite into a node on the Hashgraph network, an inter-satellite network can be created that is able to facilitate ultra fast transactions of both monetary kind, but also data.
Hedera Hashgraph acts as a graph of transactions that are processed in parallel, rather than Bitcoin, which sees its software structured to add blocks of transactions in a chain at specified intervals. Files are stored across the network in each node to ensure data availability for regional access. They’re stored in Merkle Trees and Merke DAGs (Directed Acyclic Graphs). This ensures that files remain tamper-proof as they’re not stored in a standard file system. In addition, this offers “trusted validation, provable revocation management, and 100% availability.”
Thus, entire applications, websites and platforms could be powered via Starnet instead of the Internet, removing any dependency on earth’s server infrastructure.
At the same time, Starlink could become the effective payment processing infrastructure of most credit card networks by becoming nodes on the Hashgraph network.
Tokenisation of Resources from Asteroid Mining
Asteroid mining has the potential to provide humans with most of the natural resources they need.
These endeavours promise a lot of value but are also extremely expensive to facilitate.
In the future, asteroids could be tokenised on the Hashgraph and their resource extraction could be financed by people around the globe.
At the same time, the Hashgraph could act as a balance sheet for the universe’s resources.
Space Supply Chain Management
Every rocket is dependent on a complex supply chain with many different actors across multiple geographies.
Using the Hashgraph, space companies and agencies can not only accurately track the carbon emissions of each step of the supply chain using the Hedera Guardian Service, but they can also keep timestamps of every step in the journey of the production of a rocket.
From harvesting raw materials to third party suppliers, a single source of truth and overview of supply availability can be created using the Hedera Consensus Services and the Hedera Token Service for Real World Asset Tokenisation.
Tracking & Management of Space Traffic
The beauty of the Hashgraph is that its consensus service, invented by Dr. Leemon Baird, a U.S. Airforce Mathematician, Computer Scientist and AI expert, is capable of one thing Blockchains are not – instantaneous, trustless and quantum resistant consensus.
Hashgraph technology could potentially be a game-changer in managing space traffic due to its unique attributes. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how Hashgraph could be employed to manage space traffic:
Real-Time Monitoring and Coordination
Hashgraph’s fast consensus algorithm allows for real-time monitoring and updating of satellite positions and trajectories. This would enable a highly responsive management system, where changes and decisions are propagated across the network almost instantly.
Decentralization
With Hashgraph, space traffic management could be decentralized, eliminating single points of failure. This distributed approach would allow multiple agencies and stakeholders to participate in the network, contributing to and accessing the ledger in a secure way.
Consensus and Security
Hashgraph comes with the promise of achieving consensus with finality, meaning once an event is recorded, it cannot be changed; this is critical for maintaining an accurate history of movements and decisions in space traffic management. Moreover, Hashgraph’s security features could protect against tampering and cyber-attacks.
Efficiency and Scalability
Hashgraph can process many transactions per second, which is essential for tracking the numerous satellites and debris in space. Its efficiency and scalability make it suitable for the complex and growing network of space objects.
Smart Contracts for Automated Responses
Smart contracts could be programmed to automatically execute certain maneuvers in response to specific conditions, such as potential collisions. For instance, if two satellites are predicted to come dangerously close, a smart contract could initiate avoidance maneuvers if certain criteria are met.
Interoperability
Hashgraph could facilitate interoperability between different organizations and systems, making it easier to coordinate global efforts in space traffic management. This interoperability is crucial, given the international nature of space activities.
Data Integrity and Transparency
The immutable record-keeping of Hashgraph ensures that historical data is preserved accurately, which is essential for analyzing traffic patterns and optimizing routes. Transparency is also key for trust among the various entities operating in space.
In summary, managing space traffic with Hashgraph technology could lead to a more secure, efficient, and cooperative environment in outer space. It would address the current challenges of coordination and collision avoidance, providing a reliable infrastructure for the safe and sustainable use of space.
Smart Contracts for Autonomous Spacecrafts and Space Vehicles
By combing AI and the Hedera Smart Contract Service, spacecrafts and space vehicles can autonomously make decisions and execute different predefined scenarios without the risk of hijacking and minimisation of human errors.
Smart contracts on Hedera Hashgraph could enable autonomous spacecraft and space vehicles to operate with a high degree of autonomy and efficiency. Here’s how this might work:
Autonomous Decision Making
Smart contracts can be programmed with logic that allows spacecraft to make decisions based on real-time data. For example, if a satellite detects an obstacle or another satellite on a collision course, the smart contract can automatically execute maneuvers to avoid a collision without the need for ground intervention.
Resource Allocation
In a scenario where multiple autonomous spacecraft are mining resources on an asteroid, smart contracts can manage the allocation of areas to mine, based on the most efficient use of resources and time, preventing conflicts over areas and optimizing resource extraction.
Automated Transactions and Operations
Smart contracts could automatically handle transactions that are contingent upon certain conditions being met, such as the transfer of data, fuel, or other resources between spacecraft, or payment transactions for services rendered by one spacecraft to another.
Maintenance Scheduling
Spacecraft could use smart contracts to autonomously manage their maintenance schedules. When sensors detect that a part is close to failure or has reached a certain threshold of wear and tear, the smart contract could initiate a maintenance procedure or order a replacement.
Inter-Satellite Communication
Smart contracts can govern the data exchange between satellites, ensuring that communication is carried out securely and efficiently. This is especially important for constellations of small satellites (CubeSats) that need to work in concert.
Data Processing and Sharing
Satellites could use smart contracts to process and sell data they collect, such as Earth observation data. Once a buyer fulfills the conditions set in the contract, the satellite could autonomously transmit the requested data.
Regulatory Compliance
Smart contracts could ensure that spacecraft operations are compliant with international regulations by encoding these rules into the contracts. If an operation were to violate a regulatory condition, the smart contract would not execute it.
Dispute Resolution
In the event of a dispute, smart contracts can provide a clear, immutable record of all transactions and operations, simplifying arbitration processes.
By using Hedera Hashgraph, which is designed for high-throughput, fast consensus, and low-latency finality, these smart contracts can operate at the speed required for real-time space operations.
This technology could significantly reduce the need for ground control intervention, allowing spacecraft to operate independently and respond promptly to the dynamic conditions of space.
NASA – Hashgraph Saga has already started…
https://sbir.nasa.gov/SBIR/abstracts/20/sttr/phase1/STTR-20-1-T11.03-6333.html
There is a lot more…
Join us when the SpaceX and Hedera ecosystem discuss the future of Space & DLTs on December 6th
https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1kvJpvgwrXwKE