NASA says it has successfully flight tested a blockchain based security system designed to protect aviation data from interception and tampering as the industry braces for more sophisticated cyber threats.
In a report published on January 16, the US agency said researchers at its Ames Research Center in California ran a drone flight test to trial a decentralised data system that can securely transmit and store flight information in real time.
The test focused on protecting data exchanged between aircraft and ground stations that a growing concern as air traffic management relies on increasingly digital links and automated decision making.
NASA said the goal is to keep airspace operations safe from disruption by ensuring flight data remains accurate and trustworthy.
While blockchain is best known for powering cryptocurrencies, NASA’s description is closer to a permissioned ledger where changes to data are recorded across a network and verified without relying on a single central database.
In practice, that can make it harder for a malicious actor to quietly alter records or inject false information because the system is designed to detect unauthorized changes.
NASA said the research team used an open source blockchain framework to share and store operational information among trusted users including aircraft operator registration details, flight plans and telemetry.
The flight trial, conducted in August at Ames used an Alta X drone fitted with a custom software and hardware package that included a computer, radio, GPS system and battery, according to NASA.
The test also simulated a broader operating environment with a separate ground control station alongside the blockchain and security infrastructure.
NASA said it deliberately introduced cybersecurity tests to probe resilience and improve the system’s defences during operations, marking a shift from earlier approaches that leaned heavily on layered security architectures such as multiple physical and digital controls around access.
The agency positioned the work as potentially relevant to several areas where aviation is changing quickly including autonomous traffic management, urban air mobility and high altitude aircraft operations.
NASA said the underlying framework and security protocols could be extended to support operations at 60,000 feet and higher as well as dense city airspace where drones and future air taxi services would need to share flight intent and tracking data without opening the door to interference.
The aviation sector has grappled with cybersecurity for years particularly around systems that broadcast or exchange position and identification data.
In a 2019 NASA paper, a NASA engineer outlined how aviation surveillance broadcasts can raise risks such as spoofing and denial of service attacks, and proposed a permissioned blockchain approach as one way to improve security and preserve privacy for authorized users.
The project sits within NASA’s Air Traffic Management and Safety work under its Airspace Operations and Safety Program, part of the agency’s broader aeronautics mission to improve the safety and efficiency of flying for the public and industry.
