Topics · Domain workflow
Operators verify signed command and safety evidence after delayed downlink, checking integrity and profile declarations before updating mission risk posture or public communications.
Concrete scenario
A probe executes an avoidance burn hours before the downlink window opens. Ground teams weeks later must confirm the command bundle, safety envelope, and timing metadata were signed onboard — not reconstructed from incomplete relay logs or reconstructed narratives in shift handoff notes.
Problem
Deep-space and high-latency links delay ground contact. Autonomous maneuvers must carry compact, signed evidence that survives weeks of transit, bit rot in relays, and still verifies when telemetry finally arrives at mission control.
Mechanism
Onboard systems mint receipts over commands, safety context, timestamps, and optional hybrid proof material sized for delayed disclosure and bandwidth-constrained relays. Verifiers replay cryptography when bundles arrive — without assuming continuous cloud connectivity or live vendor dashboards.
Verifiable outcome
Scope boundary
Receipts preserve signed command evidence — not orbital mechanics correctness, hardware redundancy, or mission authorization outside the instrumented control path.