Blockchain Systems in Aerospace Engineering

Abstract

Blockchain is a special computer system that keeps safe and unchangeable records of transactions and ensures records are real, secure, and many people can access them. The way blockchain works is people share their transactions and others make sure they are real. These transactions become a block which is made secure, users agree, and copies are shared. It is widely used for money transfer, internet of things, etc. Recently, it has been applied in the aerospace engineering sector to store and securely manage aircraft records, using blockchain for better communication in aerospace, to perform predictive analytics in battlefield operations to improve the decision making. Research challenges that are to be addressed while extending to aerospace applications include ensuring security and privacy of information and smart contracts, managing deployment cost, handling huge data traffic generated, and rules and regulations specific to this aerospace sector. In this chapter, blockchain concepts, application to aerospace engineering, recent trends, and future research opportunities are discussed.