According to Cointelegraph, NASA, in partnership with Florida-based computing startup Lonestar and the Isle of Man, plans to send a payload containing data cubes to the Moon in February 2024. The data secured in these cubes will be verified back on Earth using blockchain technology. If successful, the same blockchain technology will be used to verify the landing of humans on the Moon during NASA's second crewed mission, Artemis 3, in 2025.
The Artemis mission is set to enter its second leg with the launch of Artemis 2 in November 2024. While this mission will be crewed, the four astronauts aboard will only orbit the Moon and return to Earth. Artemis 2 is meant to be the final test run before the U.S. government puts humans on the Moon's surface again with Artemis 3.
Lonestar and the Isle of Man are collaborating to pioneer long-term lunar storage systems that will rely on solar power and require no extra infrastructure to set up. The test will involve the creation of digital stamps, referred to as 'digital franking,' which will be stored in the data cubes on the Moon. Once installed, the data will be verified via blockchain back on Earth to ensure it's complete and untampered with. This could allow future astronauts to check-in on the Moon, with their interaction verified via the blockchain, potentially dispelling any conspiracy theories surrounding the next Moon landing.
