Avalanche goes beyond finance and into space, with a new network designed to verify telescope data in real time.
SkyMapper has introduced a dedicated Avalanche-based network that cryptographically records observations from telescopes around the world, transforming each data point into a secure and verifiable digital record.
The new network, SkyMapper L1, collects data from a wide range of telescopes and sensors around the world and turns each observation into a secure digital record. The company calls this a “Proof of Space Observation” (POSO) – essentially a way to prove that a specific event in the sky was actually observed, at the time it occurred, and that the data was not altered. These verified records can then be used by scientists, businesses or government agencies that need reliable spatial data.
The SETI Institute, known for its search for extraterrestrial intelligence, is providing live observational data, marking one of the first production-scale integrations of institutional science into a blockchain-based verification system.
SkyMapper’s talk focuses on a growing problem: the explosion of data from satellites, drones and space missions, and the difficulty of verifying that the data has not been altered or misattributed. The team says blockchain can help solve this problem by creating a permanent, tamper-proof record of every observation that anyone can independently verify.
The system works by validating observations as they are captured. When a telescope in the network records an event, such as a satellite pass or a signal in deep space, the data is immediately cryptographically signed, creating a unique fingerprint linked to that device. The observation is then timestamped and transmitted via the SkyMapper infrastructure.
Instead of keeping all data in a central database, SkyMapper distributes it across a decentralized storage network. At the same time, it records a sort of digital fingerprint of this data on the Avalanche blockchain. This fingerprint means that anyone can check it later to confirm that the data is real and has not been altered.
The network uses smart contracts to verify incoming data, organize it and control who can access it. Some information, such as sensitive government or defense data, can be kept confidential, while others, such as those from scientific research, can be shared openly.
The result is a system where each observation can be independently verified: users can check when and where it was recorded, confirm that it has not been tampered with, and trace it back to its source.
“We are building blockchain infrastructure to have real impact,” said Emin Gün Sirer, founder and CEO of Ava Labs. “SkyMapper’s work anchoring observatory data to Avalanche shows how this technology can transform science, providing tamper-proof and verifiable telescope records.”
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