As we all know, there's nothing more frustrating than being stuck on Pluto or Neptune without internet connectivity. NASA's on it.
Seriously though, communications can be a life and death issue for space explorers. Also, as we do more and explore further beyond this planet, the amount of data being generated is staggering - and that data needs to be transmitted back to Earth. In the future, information will also need to be shared between space vehicles and perhaps also between colonies we establish on other planets.
Space communications, while occurring in a vacuum, can be a tricky business. Planets can get in the way, as can space weather conditions. Our atmosphere can also play havoc with signals bound for Earth.
Another potential complication could be where different space communications technologies start being used by various countries that won't play nice with each other.
The Solar System Internetwork (SSI) is being designed to enable standardized space communications.
In a significant step towards the Solar System Internetwork (aka Interplanetary Internet) and after a decade of work, NASA has established an operational Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) service on the International Space Station.
The service will assist in automating and enhancing data availability for researchers on the space station, plus provide a more efficient utilisation of bandwidth and increase data return.
Playing a key role in establishing the service was Dr. Vinton Cerf.
Dr. Cerf understands a thing or two about networks - he is widely regarded as one of the fathers of the Internet. Dr. Cerf points out the work on Solar System Internetwork won't just be utilised by the comparative few of us who will need it in outer space, or by boffins in various research facilities here on Earth.
"Our experience with DTN on the space station leads to additional terrestrial applications especially for mobile communications in which connections may be erratic and discontinuous,” said Dr. Cerf.
An example Dr. Cerf provided was where battery power is low and devices have to postpone communication until recharged. DTN provides a “store and forward” data network that can store partial bundles of data in nodes (points in a network pathways that intersect or branch) until the various bundles can be forwarded or retransmitted, then re-bundled at the final destination.
To ensure wide adoption of DTN, NASA has worked with various internet and space communications agencies with view to international standardization. NASA says many DTN implementations are already publicly available as open-source code, which will encourage adoption.
