Mars Planetary Network for Human Exploration Era – Potential Challenges and Solutions

Tai, Wallace; Abraham, Douglas A.; Cheung, Kar‐Ming

doi:10.2514/6.2018-2451

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Another limitation of the current literature is that only simple network configurations that were more suited to the study of specific features than to a comprehensive assessment of DTN architecture have been considered. By contrast, the most recent space exploration plans 19 envision the presence of multiple assets (several ground and space nodes interconnected) and the support of multiple services (telemetry, telecommand, sensors data, and images), in a unique system 20 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DTN performance analysis of multi‐asset Mars‐Earth communications

Alessi

Caini

Cola

et al. 2019

Satell Commun Network

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Summary The delay‐/disruption‐tolerant networking (DTN) architecture is considered the key enabling technology for future space communications, as confirmed by the current standardization within CCSDS and the experiments carried out onboard the International Space Station. Despite the scientific community efforts to analyze DTN architecture performance, most of the studies have focused on individual protocols, or have considered simple test cases, thus missing a whole system view. To bridge these research gaps, this paper presents a comprehensive analysis of DTN performance in Mars‐Earth communications, considering a realistic and complex end‐to‐end scenario, where multiple assets and multiple data flows are involved, as envisioned for future space missions. To this end, a virtualized testbed based on ION software was used for an extensive emulation campaign, focusing particularly on Bundle and Licklider Protocol interaction with the CGR routing algorithm.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DTN performance analysis of multi‐asset Mars‐Earth communications

Alessi

Caini

Cola

et al. 2019

Satell Commun Network

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“…In pursuit of this, the study was charged with "taking into account future mission needs, including those for human Mars exploration during the 2030s -2040s." 1 This latter charge on future mission needs involved two significant endeavors: (1) looking at the "needs of all deep space missions to be supported by the SCaN communications assets" from now into the 2040s and (2) modeling specific human Mars exploration activities and their associated communications traffic. This paper focuses on the overall deep space future mission needs: how they were derived, what the trends and implications are, how well different architectural approaches to Deep Space Network capacity appear to satisfy the projected aggregate mission set demand, and what recommendations emerge from these considerations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recommendations Emerging from an Analysis of NASA’s Deep Space Communications Capacity

Abraham

MacNeal

Heckman

et al. 2018

2018 SpaceOps Conference

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During 2016-2017, NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Office chartered a study of Deep Space Network (DSN) communications capacity relative to projected future-mission demand over the next 30 years. In this paper, we briefly describe the methodology used to analyze capacity vs. demand over such a broad timeframe, summarize key findings emerging from the analysis, and discuss the associated recommendations.Performing the analysis entailed: identifying key factors shaping the anticipated future mission set, identifying several alternative future mission set scenarios consistent with these factors, and then analyzing each mission set scenario in terms of required antenna capacity, downlink and uplink capabilities, and spectrum as a function of time. On the basis of these aggregate requirements, DSN loading simulations were then conducted that examined how well each of the postulated mission sets could load up onto the the DSN's "in-plan" architecture. To the extent that capacity shortfalls emerged during these baseline simulations, architectural solutions to the shortfalls were then postulated and tested via additional simulations.In general, the trend analyses and baseline loading simulations indicated a significant progression in challenges over the next three decades. In the current decade, the DSN appeared to be operating very close to capacity. The first human exploration mission and its secondary payload launch opportunities for cubesats traveling beyond GEO contributed to this loading. As a consequence, the main challenge appeared to be managing peak assetcontention periods. In the next decade, the DSN continued to operate close to capacity but also began transitioning to more frequent human mission support. Upgrading for, and operating, a human-rated system while continuing to meet robotic mission customer requirements emerged as the key challenge. In the 2030's and beyond, simulations suggested a need for fundamentally new capability and capacity. The high data rates and long link distances characteristic of human Mars exploration drove requirements far beyond what is currently "in plan." The key challenge then became determining the most cost-effective combination of RF and optical assets for communicating with the postulated human Mars assets while still providing for the needs of all the other missions across the solar system. Various link budget, visibility, and loading analyses ultimately suggested that the human Mars exploration demands of the 2030's could best be addressed with two cross-linked RF-optical areostationary relays (or an areostationary relay and deep space habitat) providing a dual "trunk link" to an array of 2-to-3 additional 34m beam waveguide antennas and an ~8.5m optical antenna at each DSN Complex. The dual "trunk link" would enable the same amount of total data return to Earth as a single trunk link at twice the data rate, but with only half the required array size on the ground, assuming use of Multiple Spacecraft Per Antenna (MSPA) techniques. MSPA techniques, incl...

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