The Filecoin Foundation and US manufacturer Lockheed Martin have unveiled a partnership to create decentralised storage in space. The technology will be based on the IPFS protocol, which guarantees optimal data transfer speed and retention over time
Lockheed Martin and the Filecoin Foundation set out to conquer space
The space division of weapons and defence specialist Lockheed Martin has teamed up with the Filecoin Foundation to create decentralised storage. A storage that will be in space
Announcing that @FilFoundation is working with @LMSpace to bring @IPFS to space!
Learn more ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/tqRA6qtaG3
– Filecoin Foundation (@FilFoundation) May 23, 2022
The technology will incorporate the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) protocol. This is a technology, similar to the shared ledgers of a blockchain, where the same data is effectively stored on multiple computers around the world. This ensures speed of execution and improved backup of information.
Incidentally, the Filecoin (FIL) project is the creation of Protocol Labs, which is behind IPFS. The Filecoin Foundation and Lockheed Martin have joined forces to bring this technology to the space. The first advantage is obviously a gain in space compared to storage on our planet, but it will also be a choice asset for future explorations of our civilisation.
Indeed, if we were to carry out a Web search from the Moon with the current system, our computer would send requests to servers based on Earth, which would cause latencies of several seconds between each operation. In contrast, with a space-based IPFS system, the same computer would find this data directly from the nearest satellite.
Furthermore, if a satellite were to be destroyed, the data would not be impacted, as other satellites in the network would also store it.
A most ambitious project
This ambitious project will not happen overnight, of course. However, Joe Landon, Lockheed Martin’s Vice President of Advanced Program Development, is convinced of this vision of the future:
Soon, space won’t just be a destination. It will be home to the new space economy, independent of Earth. The work we are doing with Filecoin is reinforcing an investment in building space infrastructure. We need to develop the technology to support a long-term presence in space. “
Marta Belcher, president of the Filecoin Foundation, said that this is the very purpose for which IPFS was developed:
From the beginning, IPFS was envisioned as a technology, which can make interplanetary networking possible, the “I” in IPFS stands for “interplanetary”.
Before such a technology is operational, however, several steps must be taken. This begins with the development of a satellite model capable of hosting the data to be stored and which meets precise specifications, to ensure compatibility between the various players in the network.
We must also take into account the exponential evolution of our computing power, which means that this storage must be correctly sized to make it sustainable. But by joining forces with a major player such as Lockheed Martin, the Filecoin Foundation should have the financial and logistical resources to carry out this project successfully.
