By Jacob Bouchard and Red Boumghar
What is a DAO? It’s the natural order of things, the way of the universe, or the path to harmony and balance. For the purpose of this paper, D.A.O. also stands for decentralized autonomous organization, which, in its most basic form, could be perceived as a self-governing collaborative spreadsheet with smart rules and functions.
It is decentralized, and the control structure is not a top-down hierarchy. This provides resilience, security, and transparency by reducing the risk of a single point of failure often seen with central management systems.
Autonomy is achieved through Smart contracts. These are programs or applications that help automate decision-making processes and ensure the organization’s rules are executed impartially. These contracts also help verify data through consensus.
The organization consists of members who have earned tokens by contributing to voting and decision-making. Tokens are earned by contributing quality data to the DAO. The proposal system and voting mechanisms operate based on predefined rules encoded in smart contracts.
Imagine a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) as a virtual town square. Participants gather to exchange information, make decisions, and collaborate on projects without needing a mayor. Smart contracts act as the town’s laws, ensuring that transactions and interactions follow agreed-upon protocols.
Individuals have equal access to information and opportunities, regardless of their status. Transparency is built into the foundation, fostering trust as transactions and decisions are recorded on the blockchain ledger for all to see. A blockchain is a bunch of interlinked data blocks.
“In the heart of the Decentralized Autonomous Organization, the DAO has the power of simplicity. Just as the Tao flows naturally and effortlessly like water, so too does the wisdom of decentralized governance. Embrace the way of least resistance, and watch as harmony emerges from the collaborative efforts of many.” -inspired by the Tao Te Ching.
Why make a DAO for tracking objects in space? According to the European Space Agency, there are already more than 130 million objects[1]. The number of objects in orbit is increasing exponentially. There are currently around 9000 operational satellites. According to Astrophysicist Johnathan Mcdowell, in 10 years (2034), he conservatively predicts at least 100,000[2]. Some quick math. 9000 x 11.11 = 100,000. If the amount of debris follows the same track, it would mean 1,444,443,000 (130mil x 11.11) pieces of space debris.
How is that even possible? There are more launches, primarily due to the invention of reusable rockets. There are also satellite constellations involving thousands of satellites for use as a communication system. New tech allows for the miniaturization of components, which makes it possible to build Cubesats. Their low weight translates to a lower cost to orbit. These fantastic new technologies have made space far more accessible. They have also dramatically increased humanity’s ability to pollute the heavens.
The rapidly growing amount of stuff in space makes tracking exponentially more difficult and expensive with each passing year. Yes, there is lots of space in space. However, there are ‘Orbital Highways’ [3], and some orbits have already become saturated. Collisions in space have the unfortunate effect of cascading. A piece of space garbage becomes an entire debris field. The need for a space DAO increases as the system gets more complex.
“As objects clutter the heavens, let us remember: the simplicity of the DAO is the key to navigating the complexities of space. Like the Tao, the space DAO offers guidance amid chaos, forging a path towards celestial harmony.” -Inspired by the Tao Te Ching.
What changed? Since humanity’s first launch into the cosmos, space tracking has been handled exclusively by the USAF’s 43rd space wing and the Russian military’s space surveillance network, SKKP. Now, several entities are involved, including amateur astronomers, large corporations dedicated to the job, and several nations with new affluence and modern technologies.
More recently, there are the Artemis Accords, a series of agreements among at least 35 nations to peacefully collaborate, prioritizing space traffic. Furthermore, as of 2018, the United States government has transferred oversight for space traffic management to the Department of Commerce.
Although the U.S. Department of Commerce has recently stepped in, space traffic management is not collaborative. [5] There are no ‘traffic lights.’ Who moves what and when usually involves lawyers and is done on a case-by-case basis. The ‘rules of the space road’ are not set in stone.
Every entity uses different techniques to track space objects. They can be tracked with optical telescopes, radar, and lidar. Furthermore, every entity uses different math to track an object’s movement. No one is perfect. There are unintentional errors. Moreover, the world is in conflict right now. There are bad actors, lies, deception, and misinformation. Who’s data can be trusted?
“In the myriad complexities of space tracking, trust emerges not from uniformity but from the harmonious convergence of diverse perspectives. Like the Tao flowing through countless streams, true understanding arises when we unite in transparency and collaboration, transcending boundaries to navigate the celestial expanse with clarity and integrity.” -Inspired by the Tao Te Ching.
The beauty and magic of a space DAO is that trust and verification are based on a democratic consensus using the blockchain[4]. The blockchain functions as a ledger, which is hard to hack and easily verifiable. It’s done using aggregated data from multiple sources, which are analyzed and juxtaposed. The data is processed using a set of rules determined by smart contracts.
These ‘smart’ contracts are mini-applications that the community develops. One such contract uses the Bayes fusion mechanism. Bayes’s theorem uses correlating data to establish more certainty. When the data from two or more sources line up, the information becomes verified and more trustworthy. In addition to solving the trust problem, A space-tracking DAO also helps with coordination and lack of knowledge about the risks. [7]. Lastly, collaborative smart contracts might help make the process easier when two entities decide who moves to avoid a collision. The concept of the DAO probably cannot remove all the red tape, but it might help the process along.
Our Cognitive Bias, even in our seemingly accurate space-tracking information, represents the yin and the yang. Only through the teachings and adoption of DAO, embracing decentralization, and the consensus of information can we achieve a balance and provide the most accurate space-tracking information.
“In the dance of celestial spheres, the Space DAO mirrors the Tao’s wisdom, weaving consensus from disparate threads. Through decentralized harmony and the fusion of knowledge, we navigate the cosmos with clarity, transcending biases to reveal the truth of our cosmic journey.” – Inspired by the Tao Te Ching.
The organization consists of data providers who track space objects. They get tokens for accurate data, which can be used to vote on smart contracts and potentially exchanged for money. The data is provided to satellite operators, who use CDM or conjunction data messages to avoid collisions. Lastly, arbitrators help determine which object needs to move if possible. The result is more precise and trusted space-tracking information in an easy-to-digest form.
One of the teachings of the Buddhist Dao is to reach a state of ZEN. In this case, since we space nerds love snarky anachronisms, a Zero-Effort Network. Not only is a DAO a democratic way to process and use information, but its autonomous nature allows the system to run efficiently and without central
management or middlemen.
In embracing this decentralized path, humanity mirrors the Zen pursuit of enlightenment through interconnectedness and harmony, recognizing that only through unity and collective effort can we truly navigate the vast complexities of the cosmos.
References:
[1] European Space Agency “Space Environment Statistics” Space Environment Statistics · Space Debris User Portal (ESA.int)
[2] Jonathan Mcdowell (McDAO) “Strategic challenges of large satellite constellations” https://planet4589.org/talks/space/2022/challenges2a.pdf
[3] Moriba Jah “Q&A Moriba Jah on the sustainability of near-Earth space” Physics Today | AIP Publishing
[4] Scott Stornetta “How the blockchain is developing in different countries” How Blockchain Is Developing In Different Countries – Scott Stornetta of Yugan Partner | Europe 2022 (youtube.com)
[5] “Commerce Department Awards Contracts for Space Traffic Coordination Pilot Project“ Link
[6] Laozi “Tao Te Ching” Link
[7] Red Boughar “Orbit Decentralized Autonomous Organization Using Blockchain-Based Consensus Mechanisms” Link