Avalanche is expanding its horizons beyond the financial sector by launching a network that validates telescope data instantly. SkyMapper has developed an Avalanche-based system to cryptographically store observations from telescopes globally, creating secure and verifiable digital records.
The newly established SkyMapper L1 network aggregates data from diverse global telescopes and sensors, converting each observation into a tamper-proof digital record. Dubbed “Proof of Space Observation” (POSO), this method ensures that specific celestial events are documented accurately and remain unaltered. These verified records serve scientists, businesses, or government bodies requiring dependable space data.
The SETI Institute, renowned for its search for extraterrestrial intelligence, is contributing live observational data, representing one of the first large-scale integrations of institutional science into a blockchain verification system.
SkyMapper highlights a pressing issue: the surge in data from satellites, drones, and space missions complicates ensuring that this information remains unaltered or correctly attributed. The team suggests blockchain technology as a solution by establishing a permanent, tamper-resistant record for each observation accessible for independent verification.
The system operates by validating observations at their capture moment. When an event—like a satellite pass or deep-space signal—is recorded by a network telescope, the data is instantly cryptographically signed, creating a distinct fingerprint linked to that device. This observation is then time-stamped and transmitted via SkyMapper’s infrastructure.
Rather than storing all data centrally, SkyMapper distributes it across a decentralized storage network while saving a digital fingerprint on the Avalanche blockchain. This allows later confirmation of the data’s authenticity and integrity.
Smart contracts manage incoming data within the network, organizing it and regulating access. Sensitive information such as government or defense data can remain private, whereas scientific research may be publicly accessible.
The outcome is a system where each observation is independently verifiable: users can verify its recording time and location, ensure it remains unaltered, and trace back to its source.
“We’re building blockchain infrastructure for real-world impact,” stated Emin Gün Sirer, founder and CEO of Ava Labs. “SkyMapper’s work anchoring observatory data on Avalanche demonstrates how this technology can revolutionize science by providing tamper-proof, verifiable telescope records.”