Space is an area that has been historically researched by few governments, being a complex matter that requires thorough, high-class research and, therefore, substantial funding. More recently, with the emerging popularity of audacious startups like SpaceX, space exploration has become a less exclusive area. Now, however, it seems that the cryptocurrencies’ primary features — blockchain, its underlying technology, and the concept of an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), its crowdfunding model — are bringing in even more power into the previously unshared territory.
Big players are adopting blockchain for space exploration:
Space giants like the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are studying ways to employ blockchain for their mission. Findings obtained so far suggest that the technology might be useful both on the ground (facilitating data-related processes, just like in other mainstream institutions) and in space (helping to navigate the deep space).
NASA
In 2017, NASA awarded a $330,000 grant that supported the development of an autonomous, blockchain-based spacecraft system, making its first move toward blockchain adoption. Called the Resilient Networking and Computing Paradigm (RNCP), the new system relies on blockchain and requires no human intervention, as the grant’s recipient, Dr. Jin Wei Kocsis — an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Akron — outlines in her research synopsis[1].
As Kocsis explains, the RNCP will examine the application of Ethereum-based blockchain smart contracts in developing a secure computing system that would be applicable for challenging space conditions:
"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
