The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, now eyes blockchain for air traffic management. Ronald J. Reisman, an aero-computer engineer at the NASA Ames Research Center has suggested that use of blockchain to solve issues of privacy and the prevention of spoofing, denial of service, and other attacks.
Reisman states in a paper that the new system Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) will be implemented in 2020. However, the ADS-B does not provide for the protection of flight plans and positions and other state data. Reisman asserts that blockchain can aid via an engineering prototype built using a permissioned blockchain.
The use of an open source permissioned blockchain framework to enable aircraft privacy and anonymity while providing a secure and efficient method for communication with Air Traffic Services, Operations Support, or other authorized entities.
The proposed framework will use “certificate authority, smart contract support, and higher-bandwidth communication channels” to ensure private communication between aircraft and authorized participants. The post further details how the prototype could be “economically and rapidly deployed” at scale. Reisman proposed prototype uses Hyperledger Fabric, a blockchain he says has been developed away from fintech and designed for enterprise use.
The paper elaborated that Reisman considered other chains as well. However, according to him, the other chains lacked cohesion and flexibility due to the platforms design limitations:
Ethereum claims a >80% market share, followed by other platforms, including (in order of market share popularity): Waves, Bitcoin Fork, Stratis, Graphene, Hyperledger, Ethereum Classic, Maidsafe, Litecoin Fork, NEO, and Rootstock.
Reisman further states:
Proposes to leverage an industrial-strength open-source enterprise-blockchain framework called Hyperledger Fabric to demonstrate potential solutions to vexing technical issues that threaten the adoption of ADS-B by Military, Corporate, and other aircraft operators who do not want their operations and movements discernable by the general public.
He agrees that his approach “is not perfected”, it is “based on available technology.” A sentiment echoed by many, implying that wider use of blockchain globally is not very far.
Virtual assets have its fair share of enthusiasts and naysayers, backing and pulling it down respectively. Many non-believers including Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller called bitcoin a fad in October 2017, when the token first reached its record high of nearly $ 6,000.
Martin Walker of the Center for Evidence-Based Management (CEBMa) also carries a similar sentiment. So does the CEO of JPMorgan, Jamie Dimon, though his wordings were a bit different as he called bitcoin “a fraud.”
"The Bitcoin is just a fad" pic.twitter.com/wLJLoOh4ng
— LeGate (@williamlegate) February 10, 2018
While cryptocurrency is still being bashed by some, Blockchain technology has been employed by many. Now that NASA has shown its incline towards the technology and believes that it can improve air traffic management, how far would be the acceptance for the most common use case of blockchain technology, aka cryptocurrencies.
Read more: Amazon Announces a Blockchain Quantum Ledger and AWS Managed Blockchain
The blockchain is still in its baby phase, as and when the technology grows, it is expected that Cryptocurrencies will also observe a spike. Our future technologies could be based on or interact with blockchain. An example of it is the ongoing increase in the adoption of blockchain by banks, governments, enterprises, and even space agencies like NASA is laying the ground for cryptocurrency use to become mainstream
If the blockchain becomes a foundational technology, money will also be blockchain-based. Implying that cryptocurrency is not just a fad, as whenever blockchain will reach its full potential, cryptocurrencies are sure to follow suit.
Read more: BitTorrent Token (BTT) Will Spark Blockchain Mass Adoption, Says TRON CEO Justin Sun
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