SpaceX launched the 22nd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-22) mission for NASA this week. A Falcon 9 rocket propelled a Dragon capsule to orbit on Thursday, June 3rd, carrying over 7,300 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), including hardware to upgrade the orbiting laboratory’s power system and supplies to conduct scientific research in microgravity. Dragon docked to ISS Harmony module by Saturday, June 5th at 5:29 a.m. EDT. Read more: SpaceX's 22nd Dragon Delivers Cargo, Thousands Of Tardigrades & Squids To The Space Station
Among the cargo that the CRS-22 mission delivered is the first Ethereum crypto node that will operate at the Space Station. Ethereum is a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that is distributed by a network of computers running software, known as nodes, that keep track of transaction data in a blockchain. The Ethereum node belongs to SpaceChain, an organization that is building the world’s first open-source blockchain based satellite network designed for decentralized infrastructures/applications. “The mission, made possible by Nanoracks and its Space Act Agreement with NASA, marks SpaceChain’s fourth blockchain payload launch into space and the first demonstration of Ethereum technology integration into its hardware on ISS,” SpaceChain shared in a press release. Nexus Inc., a digital asset management firm, will be the first SpaceChain customer to have direct access to the Ethereum node at ISS. Learn more about SpaceChain and its technology in the video linked below.
“We are thrilled in bringing the Ethereum platform to space and validating why a decentralized satellite infrastructure created with space technologies is vital to realizing the full potential of blockchain applications,” stated Zee Zheng, SpaceChain co-founder and CEO. “We launched a payload for Bitcoin back in 2019 and today we are launching our second-generation payload with Ethereum. Bitcoin and Ethereum represent the two biggest ecosystems in the blockchain industry. With Ethereum’s smart contract platform running in outer space, it enables us to fortify blockchain applications and transactions with enhanced security and immutability, and allows more users and developers to get involved with our technology.”
Once the space node is activated it will enable SpaceChain customers to enhance their Ethereum transactions and widespread blockchain capabilities for enterprise business. “Running Ethereum in space provides enhanced security and immutability for developing decentralized applications and transacting digital assets, which is pivotal to advancing the adoption of Enterprise Ethereum among organizations,” said Jeff Garzik, SpaceChain co-founder and CTO. “Ethereum and blockchain technologies are decentralized by nature. The integration of technologies can help address security and vulnerability issues facing centralized land-based servers on Earth, and unfurl new and exciting opportunities for other commercial use cases.”
Featured Image Source: NASA/Photo captured by ESA Astronaut Thomas Pesquet
About the Author
Evelyn Arevalo
Evelyn J. Arevalo joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover news as a Space Journalist and SpaceX Starbase Texas Correspondent. Evelyn is specialized in rocketry and space exploration. The main topics she covers are SpaceX and NASA.
