Blockchain Tech to Help Track Air Traffic

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The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system functions with satellite rather than radar technology to more accurately observe and track air traffic. In a bid to fix the privacy loopholes inherent in the proposed system, NASA is looking to adopt distributed ledger technology (DLT), or Blockchain.
Aircraft equipped with an ADS-B Out transmitter send their position, altitude, heading, ground speed, vertical speed, call sign, and International Civil Aviation Organization identifier to a network of ground stations that relays the information to air traffic control displays. Pilots of aircraft equipped with a receiver for optional ADS-B In also receive traffic information and can experience several other benefits. Aircraft operating in most controlled U.S. airspace must be equipped for ADS-B Out by January 1, 2020, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website. The FAA said that the system is a cost-effective alternative to the current RADAR system and it also provides improved situational awareness in both local and international airspace.
However, NASA claims that the system has many significant vulnerabilities including susceptibility to spoofing, denial of service (DoS), and other attacks.
It is against that backdrop that a blockchain-based permissioned framework focused on “enabling aircraft privacy and anonymity while fostering secure and efficient [methods] for communication with Air Traffic Services and other [authorized] parties” has been introduced. The move was carried out by Ronald Reisman, an Aero Computer Engineer at the Flight Trajectory Dynamics and Controls Branch at NASA.
The Aviation Blockchain Infrastructure (ABI) is powered by the Linux Hyperledger Fabric and smart contracts, and it comes with a state channel that gives users absolute control over the data to be shared publicly or privately among authorized entities. Channels are used for conducting confidential transactions. For instance, sensitive details such as altitude, latitude, longitude and others, may be kept secure through a private channel, while the public aspects of the flight may be published on a channel open to all approved users, said Reisman.
It remains to see whether NASA will integrate this blockchain solution into their ADS-B system, according to btcmanager.com.