Space agency NASA is in talks with two technology companies to implement a blockchain-based communications system for better satellite communication, according to an official brief that was created in late June.

• The system is called Space Communication Reconstruction and Mapping with Blockchain Ledgering, or SCRAMBL for short
• SCRAMBL has been proposed by Orbit Logic and the Fraunhofer USA Center for Experimental Software Engineering
• It is intended for use NASA’s quadcopter fleet, and will use blockchain tech to transfer data between satellites, improving network coordination and overall awareness
• It will also improve the efficiency of nodes on the network, described as being able to “naturally route around spacecraft communication disruptions and disconnections”
• Potential NASA applications that have been outlined include Earth-observing science, astronomy, interplanetary missions, and planetary exploration
• Potential Non-NASA applications include monitoring of geographical events or changes, weather, human activity and coordination of multiple satellite-resident sensors