Filecoin and Lockheed Martin Aimed at Making Decentralized Storage Available in Space
The Filecoin Foundation and defense contractor Lockheed Martin (LMT) announced in a meeting that the two organizations are trying to make blockchain networks accessible in space.
They stated at the World Economic Foundation meeting in DAVOS, Switzerland, usually hosted by the Filecoin Foundation, that they are collaborating to ensure an open-source blockchain network in space.
The Filecoin Foundation and Lockheed Martin plan to use a satellite or other space-faring platform that is capable of handling blockchain technology to operate an InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) node, identify platform needs and conduct a test mission.
This node is a protocol and peer-to-peer(p2p) network for storing and sharing data in a distributed file system. It seeks to connect all computing devices using content-addressing to uniquely identify each file in a global namespace.
Joe Landon, Vice President of Advanced Programs Development at Lockheed, said his group is working with Filecoin to reinforce investments in space infrastructure. He said that soon, space will no longer just be a destination. It will be home to a new space economy, independent of Earth, and added that such technology will ensure space presence.
Protocol Labs, a research, development, and deployment laboratory for network protocols plays a key role in the Filecoin Ecosystem as they are the original developers of IPFS code.
Marta Belcher, head of policy and general counsel at Protocol Labs, said the idea behind IPFS was to reduce latency when downloading data from remote locations such as the moon.
She stated at the meeting that the current centralized internet model doesn’t work in space. Every time you click, that data has to be retrieved from a centralized server; and she talked about distance being a major problem to said models.
Filecoin and Lockheed Martin Search for Spacecraft
Over the next several months, Filecoin and Lockheed Martin will be working together to identify a spacecraft platform to host an IPFS payload that will send data back and forth from Earth and other spacecraft.
Belcher said they are starting out with an exploration phase that includes technical work and identifying the right demonstration mission to have a longer-term timeline.
The Filecoin Foundation said the project aims to bring decentralized protocol to space. “Ultimately, by minimizing the number of times that data has to be transmitted to Earth and returned to space, IPFS decentralized storage will enable more efficient data transfer and communication in space,” Landon said.
