In a collaboration aimed at maintaining simulated space communications, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute has joined forces with Filecoin, a decentralized data storage marketplace, to store a simulated extraterrestrial message sent from Mars.
The project, titled “A Mark in Space,” involved performing the encoding and transmission of an extraterrestrial message to Earth, simulated using the European spacecraft’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, which is currently orbiting Mars.
A small step towards the blockchain
The purpose of this project was to engage communities interested in deciphering and understanding the message, and to foster collaboration between diverse cultures and fields of expertise.
(embed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgQq36IR-Lk (/embed)
during live feed By the SETI Institute, Daniela DePolis, the visionary behind A Sign in Space, confirmed that the cryptic message was intentionally left open to interpretation, inviting individuals to offer their own perspectives and insights.
“Imagine abstract art, as an artist, you make a painting, you attribute meaning to that painting, and it often doesn’t have a consistent meaning… If other people start to interpret something abstract, it might be more diverse, and we might have different kinds of interpretations.”
Daniela De Polis, creator of A Sign in Space.
The signal, transmitted by the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), currently in orbit of Mars, was successfully detected by three radio astronomy observatories stationed around the globe.
These observatories include the SETI Institute’s Allen Telescope Array (ATA), the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) located at the Green Bank Observatory (GBO), and the Medicina Radio astronomical station operated by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF).
To ensure that the processed message is preserved and accessible, Filecoin has been used for secure storage, ensuring that the valuable information contained in the message remains intact and readily available for analysis and interpretation.
People now have the opportunity to Interpretation of the message for themselves.
A giant leap for humanity
This is not the first time that the Filecoin Foundation has explored the utility of blockchain in the space. in The statement was issued On January 17, 2023, the Filecoin Foundation and Lockheed Martin announced a partnership to deploy the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) in space later in the year.
In the announcement, Marta Pilcher highlighted that with IPFS, the need to constantly transfer data between Earth and space is eliminated, simplifying and speeding up the data retrieval process.
Although many use cases are currently being explored, from international payments, to supply chain management and regulatory compliance, storing alien messages from Mars is rarely mentioned, despite demonstrating the vast potential of the underlying blockchain technology.
crypto.news has reached out to the Filecoin Foundation to respond to a unique blockchain site for maintaining simulated alien contacts and is currently awaiting their response.