The next-gen internet promises to be one without a gatekeeper, an absolutely decentralized network with equal access and control by its users. Space technology is taking center stage in this revolution. Low-budget satellites, blockchain-in-orbit, and quantum connections are widening the world's connectivity and security. Essentially, these technologies bring the internet to you rather than having to depend on a cable or cell tower managed by one company. Some core space-based inputs are: Global Access: Satellite constellations (such as OneWeb or Starlink by SpaceX) blanket the globe with high-speed connections. They reach rural areas with bad or nonexistent fiber, effectively "closing the digital divide".
Infrastructure Independence: The new non-terrestrial 5G networks now enable satellites to converse directly with phones and devices without much of the ground infrastructure. The network is decentralized physically by spreading connectivity into orbit.
Censorship Resistance: Space networks provide bypass links when local ISPs or underwater cables go offline. Users can interconnect via satellites during wars or disasters. Decentralization thwarts censorship, too, as satellites can bypass local internet blackouts.
Space Blockchain: Spacecoin and SpaceChain are examples of projects that write blockchain nodes onto satellites and, therefore, build an orbital distributed ledger. That is, control is decentralized across many satellites and not one hub. Spacecoin's protocol, for example, "ensures that no central authority controls the network", not even governments or telecoms can turn it off by themselves.
Quantum-Secure Links: The new space-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology uses satellites to distribute encryption keys with unbreakable security. They deliver trustless, tamper-proof long-distance communication – a cornerstone of a truly decentralized, secure internet. Global Access: Satellite constellations (such as OneWeb or Starlink by SpaceX) blanket the globe with high-speed connections. They reach rural areas with bad or nonexistent fiber, effectively "closing the digital divide". Infrastructure Independence: The new non-terrestrial 5G networks now enable satellites to converse directly with phones and devices without much of the ground infrastructure. The network is decentralized physically by spreading connectivity into orbit. Censorship Resistance: Space networks provide bypass links when local ISPs or underwater cables go offline. Users can interconnect via satellites during wars or disasters. Decentralization thwarts censorship, too, as satellites can bypass local internet blackouts. Space Blockchain: Spacecoin and SpaceChain are examples of projects that write blockchain nodes onto satellites and, therefore, build an orbital distributed ledger. That is, control is decentralized across many satellites and not one hub. Spacecoin's protocol, for example, "ensures that no central authority controls the network", not even governments or telecoms can turn it off by themselves. Quantum-Secure Links: The new space-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology uses satellites to distribute encryption keys with unbreakable security. They deliver trustless, tamper-proof long-distance communication – a cornerstone of a truly decentralized, secure internet. These technologies employ space tech to stream the internet's fabric. To put it shortly, satellites and connected inventions bring us nearer to Web3's vision: an internet-of-everyone, anywhere, with not a single chokepoint or gatekeeper. Global Satellite Constellations Global Satellite Constellations Technological advances in launch and production have made mega-constellations economically viable. New companies now deploy a few thousand tiny satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO), resulting in overlapping constellations that span the globe. Starlink by SpaceX today already has the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) approval to host over 12,000 satellites in orbit (and awaiting clearance to add another 30,000). host over 12,000 satellites in orbit host over 12,000 satellites in orbit Competitors OneWeb has 648 satellites – that's sufficient to provide continuous global coverage. Dozens of the same-purpose spacecraft are also being readied by Amazon's Project Kuiper and various Chinese coalition entities (such as Qianfan and Guowang). All of the constellations will, theoretically, provide satellite broadband to even the remotest of communities. The effect on connectivity is mind-blowing. The satellites operate above geopolitical and geographic obstacles, reaching mountains, seas, forests, and poles that cables were unable to. A report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) documents that multilayered space networks (GEO/MEO/LEO) networked with 5G/6G can "bring high-speed broadband access to remote areas" and even interconnect phones directly via satellite connections. In practice, remote villages and disaster regions are coming online for the very first time with these networks. Starlink, for example, has provided reliable internet to underserved Arctic regions and war zones by bypassing ground infrastructure destroyed by war. By their very nature, space constellations create a network of connectivity whereby each satellite is a node within a distributed network, much closer to the peer-to-peer model of the internet than older top-down ISP setups. New-generation broadband constellations utilize similar multi-orbit configurations (often with thousands or even tens of satellites) to seamlessly achieve global coverage. Today’s mega-constellations dwarf earlier networks. For perspective, the Iridium voice network needed 66 satellites for full coverage. And now, constellation developers talk of tens of thousands of satellites across several orbital levels. The enormously large number of nodes creates redundancy: another satellite can be substituted for one that fails, thereby enhancing the fault-tolerance of the network. It disperses network control as well: multiple companies and countries launch constellations (US, UK, EU, China, India, etc.), and therefore, one player can't control worldwide connections. That way, space technology is truly globalising the internet and dispersing power across a distributed architecture. Iridium voice network Iridium voice network Blockchain, QKD, and Security Blockchain, QKD, and Security In addition to simple connectivity, space tech advancements are leading towards the creation of decentralized infrastructures by means of satellite-powered blockchain networks. SpaceChain and Spacecoin are two corporations that have demonstrated blockchains' working capabilities by means of hardware placed in orbit. In 2022, SpaceChain successfully performed what it referred to as "first blockchain transaction in space" by placing ledger software on a satellite in a low Earth orbit. Their system involves the use of a satellite constellation as a decentralized network that can direct transactions by means of nodes placed in space. In addition, Spacecoin promotes "decentralized network control" by means of blockchain use, meaning no single entity can disable it. The blockchain thus manages to go beyond groundbound constraints, such that it becomes immune to any specific nation's censorship or regulation regimes. At the same time, Internet-of-Things (IoT) resilient secure ledgers are being interconnected with satellite systems. In a recent demonstration by SEALSQ and WISeSat, autonomous transactions in space were achieved: a satellite was able to connect with ground sensors and trigger payments by smart contract by means of Hedera's distributed ledger system. This has, in turn, created a space-enabled decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN), consisting of trillions of devices that intercommunicate data and value by means of satellites yet keep their communication end-to-end cryptographically secure. Space quantum communication goes one step further. Satellites such as China's Micius already demonstrate that photons can distribute unhackable encryption keys over thousands of kilometers. Companies now project constellations solely focused on QKD, so that any user (bank, hospital, or IoT sensor) might receive quantum-safe keys directly out of space. In a decentralized internet, no longer do we rely on a single backbone operator for supplied trust but on physics. Physics, as SEALSQ describes it, "produces keys that can't be copied or intercepted undetected," with the result being unbreachable confidentiality for confidential communications. Quantum-secure links would be the basis for an internet future where each hop (peer or satellite) individually checks encryption on its own. Towards a Truly Decentralized Internet Towards a Truly Decentralized Internet All of these satellite technologies combined drive the internet toward a decentralized future. Access is no longer under the control of a nation or city cable company; any consumer with an eye on the horizon can tap into satellite-based networks. And because of many competing satellite networks, that translates to choice and competition: a rural village will turn to Starlink or OneWeb or Kuiper, not a single local carrier. The influence of any one carrier is broken. Generally speaking, space technology allows for peer-to-peer connections. One hopes for satellites not only to communicate with users, but with other satellites, and overall form an orbital network. Inter-satellite laser links (already experimented on Starlink) enable data to circle satellites and bounce from satellite to satellite, in a likely path that avoids the ground in nanoseconds. That would be supplemented with edge computing, so that data would be computed or cached in orbit, never having to travel to a ground server. Imagine a decentralized content delivery network in orbit, or an IPFS node facilitated by satellite with global file-serving. But there is still research on space-air-ground network standardization being conducted in 6G. There are complexities, of course. The satellites must be cheap and mass-launched (space junk is an issue). The user device or ground terminal must be interoperable. There will likely be regulatory hurdles (spectrum and licensing) that will delay some parts of the projects. And the existing constellations are still private company-held, not yet "peer-to-peer" by any means. But the technical opportunity is obvious: where there's no fiber or cell tower, satellites provide a dispersed alternative backbone. And that's only the beginning: Space technology is not just rocket science; it's thinking differently about how to construct networks here on Earth. By driving infrastructure up into space, space technology adds many more "nodes" and "paths" to the internet, making it more resilient, global, and beyond the control of single points. In practice, this would mean internet access in any place, anywhere, and by anyone. As SpaceChain, WISeSat, Starlink, and others are doing, the dream of a decentralized internet is being brought to space, satellite by satellite.

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

Hedera

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Space Tech’s Role in a Decentralized Internet

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