Next-Gen Space-Based Surveillance: Blockchain for Trusted and Efficient Debris Tracking

TL;DR

This paper proposes a blockchain-based decentralized system for space debris tracking, enhancing security and scalability in space surveillance with significant performance improvements over traditional methods.

Contribution

It introduces a novel blockchain architecture tailored for satellite networks, enabling secure, scalable, and efficient debris data validation and storage.

Findings

Optimal network performance at around 30 nodes

Approximately 9x improvement over traditional consensus mechanisms

Enhanced security and scalability in space debris tracking

Abstract

The increasing congestion of Earth's orbit due to growing satellite deployments and space debris poses a significant challenge to sustainable space operations. Traditional space surveillance systems rely on centralized architectures, which introduce single points of failure and scalability constraints. This paper proposes a blockchain-based solution where satellites function as nodes with distinct roles to validate and securely store debris-tracking data. Simulation results indicate that optimal network performance is achieved with approximately 30 nodes, balancing throughput and response time, representing an approximately 9x improvement over traditional consensus mechanisms.