An intellectual property managent firm and several augmented reality (AR) companies have begun launching a collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to commemorate a United States Space Force (USSF) fleet launch of satellites, Cointelgraph reported this week.
The NFTs come as the USSF prepares to launch a fleet of GPS III satellites for civilian and military use on Thursday, with the vehicle hosting the payload—the GPS Space Vehicle (SV) 05—named the “ARMSTRONG”, after US astronaut and first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong.
Marketing and intellectual property management group CMG Worldwide, along with Augmented reality (AR) immersive content providers WorldwideXR and VueXR, created the “Armstrong Satellite NFT Launch with Space Force” collection, which includes limited edition digital twins of the SV05 satellites.
The US Department of Defense (US DoD) and its affiliates have no official links with and have not endorsed the project.
Nick Rose, Ethernity Chain Chief Executive Officer, said in an announcement:
“This is a historic opportunity for the NFT and blockchain space to push the medium forward and commemorate a moment both technologically and futuristically. We can now put this launch and Neil Armstrong’s historic achievements on the immutable ledger and memorialize and tokenize it on an NFT that the public can participate in”
The project will include additional NFTs modeled after coins and patches linked to the SV05 ARMSTRONG, along with a 3D NFT displaying an AR constellation of satellites currently in orbit.
The collection will also be launched on two NFT platforms, with Star Atlas opening on Monday, just days ahead of the launch. The blockchain-based metaverse offers immersive gaming experiences and links Solana blockchain mechanics with other explorative gameplay, according to a press release.
The Armstrong satellite will boost national security efforts and reflects on US efforts to protect the nation and allies from “space-related threats”, it added.
Ethernity, a digital asset platform for limited edition NFTs, has also partnered for the project. The platform hosts collectibles from historical figures, musicians, atheletes and many others, and is based on the Ethereum blockchain.
Star Atlas also plans to release a “Re-Birth: Genesis of a Metaverse” AR meta-poster for enthusiasts.
Owners of the ARMSTRONG NFTs can access their content on the VueXR App via iOS and Android.
The news comes weeks after Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc, ImagineAR Inc, and Oasis Digital Studios Limited announced a partnership with US rapper Jeezy on an iconic AR version of his snowman logo.
A second partnership with Liquid Avatar, ImagineAR and McCartney Multimedia published a series of NFT-enhanced photos of Beatles singer, guitarist, and songwriter John Lennon.
NFTs, or blockchain-based digital assets used to authenticate digital content, have gained in popularity as artists and content creators seek ways to monetise their works amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
