Internet technology for future space missions

Abstract

Ongoing work at National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC), seeks to apply standard Internet applications and protocols to meet the technology challenge of future satellite missions. Internet protocols and technologies are under study as a future means to provide seamless dynamic communication among heterogeneous instruments, spacecraft, ground stations, constellations of spacecraft, and science investigators. The primary objective is to design and demonstrate in the laboratory the automated end-to-end transport of files in a simulated dynamic space environment using off-the-shelf, low-cost, commodity-level standard applications and protocols. The demonstrated functions and capabilities will become increasingly significant in the years to come as both earth and space science missions fly more sensors and the present labor-intensive, mission-specific techniques for processing and routing data become prohibitively. This paper describes how an IP-based communication architecture can support all existing operations concepts and how it will enable some new and complex communication and science concepts. The authors identify specific end-to-end data flows from the instruments to the control centers and scientists, and then describe how each data flow can be supported using standard Internet protocols and applications. The scenarios include normal data downlink and command uplink as well as recovery scenarios for both onboard and ground failures. The scenarios are based on an Earth orbiting spacecraft with downlink data rates from 300 Kbps to 4 Mbps. Included examples are based on designs currently being investigated for potential use by the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission.

A Prediction Based SCTP Handover Scheme for IP/LEO Satellite Network

“…Let t Δ be a tiny time slot. The MH calculates the elevation angle 1 El at time ( ) UT t + Δ , and then compares 1 El with the standard handover elevation angle 0 El the iterative algorithm will be ended and the MH will set the handover time as ( ) t UT n t = + Δ , here 1, 2,3,... n = .…”

“…In order to provide ubiquitous terrestrial Internet coverage and Internet connectivity in space there is a strong desire to research and develop IP based satellite networks [1]. One of the main issues in IP/ LEO satellite network is the frequent handover between mobile hosts and satellites which is caused by the movements of the satellites.…”

Developing Architectures and Technologies for an Evolvable NASA Space Communication Infrastructure

“…The communication networking paths will utilize the lower five of the seven Open System Interconnection (OSI) model layers ( Fig. 2) to achieve Internet protocol (IP) data routing capabilities 6 . Current approaches have only nominal interaction between these layers 7 .…”

Flexible access for a space communications network with IP functionality

“…Technically, the Internet Protocol IP can work in space. Recent studies demonstrated that this is possible [2][3][4] and outlined the functional building blocks and the system engineering work that remains to be done.…”