01 · Earth to space
Stand up the network
A Quorum node was installed on a GOMX-4 satellite. The team confirmed Earth and satellite ledgers were in sync, then completed a basic token transfer from the ground station into orbit.
From the J.P. Morgan article
Why they flew it
The team wrote that a space payments system was worth thinking about — but only after they proved a ledger could survive orbit, loss of signal, and a hop between two satellites.
The brief
“We decided there was enough here to begin thinking about what a space payments system would look like over the long term. But first we needed to prove it was even possible.”Tyrone Lobban · Head of Blockchain Launch, J.P. Morgan
Memory, keys, and Raspberry Pis
“One of the challenges in working with devices is the memory constraints. This is amplified on a satellite because much of the memory is reserved as a backup for the satellite itself — not for running blockchain software.”Tyrone Lobban · J.P. Morgan
A protocol between providers
“Blockchain can facilitate a common communication and payments protocol between satellite providers, which could underpin the exchange of services between satellites, for example in the provision of continuous broadband links or to capture images and weather data using peer-to-peer autonomous contracts.”Tyrone Lobban · J.P. Morgan
Horizon 3 payments
“Space exploration is becoming increasingly well-funded and presents an exciting opportunity to deploy financial technology to create a brand-new payments infrastructure leveraging blockchain.”Rob Matles · Head of FLARE, J.P. Morgan
