Avalanche is expanding its reach beyond finance into the cosmos with a novel network designed to verify telescope data in real-time. SkyMapper's innovative Avalanche-based network, known as SkyMapper L1, collects and cryptographically records observations from a diverse array of telescopes and sensors worldwide, converting each data point into a secure digital record.
This process, termed 'Proof of Space Observation' (POSO), essentially confirms that a specific celestial event occurred, when it happened, and that the data remains unaltered. These verified records can be utilized by scientists, businesses, and government agencies requiring trustworthy space data. The SETI Institute, renowned for its search for extraterrestrial intelligence, is contributing real-time observational data, marking a significant production-scale integration of institutional science into a blockchain-based verification system.
SkyMapper addresses a growing concern: the exponential increase in data from satellites, drones, and space missions, coupled with the challenge of verifying data integrity and authenticity. The team posits that blockchain technology can mitigate this issue by creating a permanent, tamper-resistant record of each observation that can be independently verified by anyone. The system operates by validating observations at the moment of capture.
When a network telescope records an event, such as a satellite pass or deep-space signal, the data is immediately cryptographically signed, creating a unique device-tied fingerprint. The observation is then time-stamped and transmitted through SkyMapper's infrastructure.
Instead of centralizing the data, SkyMapper disperses it across a decentralized storage network while saving a digital fingerprint of the data on the Avalanche blockchain. This fingerprint enables anyone to later verify the data's authenticity and integrity. The network utilizes smart contracts to validate incoming data, organize it, and control access.
Certain information, like sensitive government or defense data, can be kept private, while other data, such as scientific research, can be shared openly. The outcome is a system where each observation can be independently verified: users can confirm when and where it was recorded, verify its integrity, and trace it back to its source.
'We are developing blockchain infrastructure for real-world impact,' stated Emin Gün Sirer, founder and CEO of Ava Labs. 'SkyMapper's work anchoring observatory data on Avalanche demonstrates how this technology can transform science, providing tamper-proof, verifiable telescope records.'