SkyMapper has launched a new network built on the Avalanche blockchain to cryptographically record and verify astronomical observations from telescopes worldwide.
Known as SkyMapper L1, the network converts telescope data points into secure, verifiable digital records. The system uses a process the company calls “Proof of Space Observation” (POS-O) to prove that specific celestial events were captured accurately and at a specific time.
The SETI Institute is already contributing live observational data to the network. This marks one of the first instances of institutional scientific data being integrated into a production-scale blockchain verification system.
Securing the space data explosion
SkyMapper aims to address the growing difficulty of verifying data from satellites, drones, and space missions. As space-based data volume increases, the risk of data being altered or misattributed grows.
The system validates observations at the moment of capture. When a networked telescope records an event, such as a satellite pass or a deep-space signal, the data receives a cryptographic signature tied to the specific device.
Each observation is time-stamped and transmitted through SkyMapper’s infrastructure. Rather than relying on a central database, the network spreads data across a decentralized storage network.
SkyMapper anchors a digital fingerprint of the data on the Avalanche blockchain. This allows scientists, government agencies, and private businesses to independently verify the authenticity and origin of the space records.
