NASA is looking to adopt the blockchain technology in order to maneuver spacecraft more effectively. They have become members of an important research project that tests the implementation of Smart Contracts offered by the Ethereum network.

NASA has become the main investor of a technological project which aims to test the impact of blockchain technology on communication in space, but also to improve the data security system.

The project was entitled the “Resilient Networking and Computing Paradigm” and will be directed by Dr. Jin Wei Kocsis (Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Akron, USA).

Dr. Jin Kocsis is the recipient of a $330,000 grant

Being the winner of a $330,000 grant, Dr. Kocsis will have as an important objective the design of a cognitive structure with which spacecraft will no longer depend on the scientific information provided by the Earth’s specialists.

Also, according to an official statement published on UAKRON.edu, it’s hoped to introduce into the spatial system the Smart Contracts offered by the Ethereum network, which will help spacecraft “think on their own“, respectively, be able to detect any deviation from the base system.

“In this project, the Ethereum blockchain technology will be exploited to develop a decentralized, secure, and cognitive networking and computing infrastructure for deep space exploration. The blockchain consensus protocols will be further explored to improve the resilience of the infrastructure.”, added Dr. Kocsis.

Dr. Kocsis hopes to automate the data collected by spacecraft

Dr. Kocsis intends to eliminate the need for fierce coordination between land and space, in the sense of automating the information collected by spacecraft and eliminating the computational operations managed by scientists on Earth. This will help space ships predict potential dangers before or at the same time with specialists that are reporting this.

“I hope to develop technology that can recognize environmental threats and avoid them, as well as complete a number of tasks automatically” Kocsis added.

This project is expected to bring numerous changes in the space system. At present, some details about the use of specific elements of the Ethereum network remain secret.