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How NASA plans to backup data on lunar soil
Think the cloud is a safe bet for your data? In a world of increasing data breaches, hackers and threats, even cloud storage might not be enough. So, why not look to the stars — or, better yet, the moon?
NASA is partnering with Lonestar, a Florida-based computing startup, and the Isle of Man, that self-governing British Crown Dependency you might’ve never heard about.
These unlikely allies aim to use blockchain technology as part of the Artemis project to secure data, making sure it’s not only tamper-proof but also verifiable as authentic. It’s like the ultra-secure Fort Knox but for digital information on the moon!
Blockchain goes intergalactic
But how do we make sure data is safe and sound on the moon? Enter blockchain, the same technology that brought us cryptocurrency. These partners plan to use blockchain to ensure the data isn’t just secure but also genuine and untampered with. This isn’t your mom’s filing cabinet; it’s literally out of this world.
Scheduled for liftoff in February 2024, this mission has a unique twist. After the data “cube” lands on the moon, it will be digitally “franked” back on Earth to show it really came from our lunar neighbor. No more “NASA faked the moon landing” nonsense. This will prove the mission’s success.
In a charming touch, the Isle of Man’s post office is chipping in. It’s providing digitalized stamps to be sent up in the data cube. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill postage stamps either. Talk about first-class mail!
Why the moon?
The moon isn’t becoming a storage locker for your embarrassing selfies. Instead, this mission aims to preserve humanity’s crown jewels — our most vital data. What if something wipes us all out? Think of the moon as Earth’s external hard drive or the modern equivalent of the Library of Alexandria — but with hopefully a less tragic end.
What’s on the moon-bound list? Some obvious candidates include:
- Scientific research: Think DNA sequencing data, climate models and pandemic studies.
- Cultural archives: Literary classics, historical texts and art collections digitized for lunar residency.
- Financial records: Stock market data, transaction histories and economic models could make the cut.
- Healthcare information: Genome mapping and medical research could find a safe haven.
- National security data: Classified information, whose security on Earth could be compromised, might find a secure backup spot on the moon.
- Technological blueprints: Designs for critical infrastructure, from power plants to the internet backbone.
- Kim Komando Shows: Audio files of all my shows because they’re that important. (OK, I made that up.)
Earth vs. moon
Not everyone’s on board this lunar express. Critics question the practicality of the whole venture. There are issues, like the extreme environment and it’s not like you can send over a tech to fix things.
Retrieving data from the moon won’t be a cakewalk. Because of the enormous costs and technological challenges involved in space travel, it’s unlikely we’d access this lunar database frequently. It’s more of a “break glass in case of emergency” type of deal.
Imagine needing a space mission every time you forget your password — except exponentially more complicated. We’re talking about cutting-edge spacecraft, layers of encryption, and, of course, the harsh conditions of outer space to contend with.
And there’s a twist: The lunar land will become an extension of the Isle of Man’s legal jurisdiction. Inspired by ship registers and satellites, this project takes data sovereignty to a new dimension.
My take: If you can connect to it, you can hack it. The bottom line: Just because it’s far away doesn’t mean it’s 100% secure.
What do you think? Great idea or not?
Tags: breaches, cloud storage, cryptocurrency, Earth, hackers, pandemic, security
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