We launched cryptography (and crypto) into space, and it just worked!
At Cryptosat, we like to say that Space is the Final FronTEEr (with a TEE, standing for a Trusted Execution Environment). Physically inaccessible satellites in space can be the future of protecting highly sensitive cryptographic building blocks such as obtaining randomness, key-generation, and generally anything that requires a trusted party (read more about it in Omer’s post).
On March 16th, we have conducted a series of experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS), including performing cryptographic signatures over user data with keys generated and kept in space. As part of it, we digitally signed Twitter messages mentioning @cryptosatbot, and reposted a reply to each such message on Twitter, which includes a cryptographic certificate with a digital signature over the user’s message.
This experiment mostly focused on the operational aspects of working with hardware and software running in space and the implications of communication latency on cryptographic protocols. However, running this experiment aboard the ISS is just a step towards our vision of a constellation of trusted satellites that can support a wide range of cryptographic use-cases.
If you’re also interested in having your message signed in space and receiving a cool certificate like the one above, you’re welcome to tweet, mentioning @cryptosatbot before March 23rd 9am PST, and we’ll get your tweet signed at our next operational window.
