In February 2024, NASA, in collaboration with Lonestar, a computing startup from Florida, and the Isle of Man, plans to send a payload to the moon. This payload will contain a "data cube" that will store information verified on Earth using blockchain technology.
The goal is that when NASA launches its second crewed mission, Artemis 3, in 2025, this same blockchain technology will provide indisputable verification of humans landing on the moon.
Artemis 2, scheduled for launch in November 2024, marks the second phase of NASA's Artemis mission. While this mission will be manned, the four astronauts on board will orbit the moon and return to Earth. It's a critical test before Artemis 3, which aims to put humans on the lunar surface.
As part of the broader scientific missions during Artemis, Lonestar and the Isle of Man are working together to pioneer a sustainable lunar data storage system powered by solar energy, requiring no additional infrastructure.
This experiment involves the creation of digital stamps, a process known as "digital stamping," which will be stored in a data cube on the moon, as reported by BBC Science Focus. Once installed, Earth's blockchain will verify this data to ensure its integrity and protection against tampering.
An intriguing aspect of blockchain's immutable nature is that future moon landings by astronauts can use the data cube to confirm their interactions on the moon. Astronaut activities can be verified through blockchain, potentially putting to rest any conspiracy theories surrounding upcoming moon landings. The head of innovation at the Digital Isle of Man explained in an interview that it would be "surprisingly difficult" for NASA to debunk claims of fabricating the six manned moon landings that occurred between 1969 and 1972.
While blockchain may not be capable of dispelling 20th-century moon landing conspiracy theories, it will serve as an irrefutable record for future generations of lunar explorers.
