Use of the delay-tolerant networking bundle protocol from space

2010

The Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC), constructed by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), is a multi-satellite Earth-imaging low-Earth-orbit sensor network where captured image swaths are stored onboard each satellite and later downloaded from the satellite payloads to a ground station. Store-andforward of images with capture and later download gives each satellite the characteristics of a node in a Delay/Disruption Tolerant Network (DTN). Originally developed for the 'Interplanetary Internet', DTNs are now under investigation in an Internet Research Task Force (IRTF) DTN research group (RG), which has developed a 'bundle' architecture and protocol. The DMC is currently unique in its adoption of the Internet Protocol (IP) for its imaging payloads and for satellite command and control, based around reuse of commercial networking and link protocols. These satellites' use of IP has enabled earlier experiments with the Cisco router in Low Earth Orbit (CLEO) onboard the constellation's UK-DMC satellite. Earth images are downloaded from the satellites using a custom IP-based high-speed transfer protocol developed by SSTL, Saratoga, which tolerates unusual link environments. Saratoga has been documented in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for wider adoption. We experiment with use of DTNRG bundle concepts onboard the UK-DMC satellite, by examining how Saratoga can be used as a DTN 'convergence layer' to carry the DTNRG Bundle Protocol, so that sensor images can be delivered to ground stations and beyond as bundles. This is the first successful use of the DTNRG Bundle Protocol in a space environment. We use our practical experience to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the Bundle Protocol for DTN use, paying attention to fragmentation, custody transfer, and reliability issues.

International Journal of Satellite Communications and Networking, 2010

We describe the first use from space of the Bundle Protocol for Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN), and lessons learned from experiments made and experience gained with this protocol.

2nd IEEE International Conference on Space Mission Challenges for Information Technology (SMC-IT'06), 2006

In space exploration missions, the coordinated use of spacecraft as communication relays increases the efficiency of the endeavors. To conduct trade-off studies of the performance and resource usage of different communication protocols and network designs, JPL designed a comprehensive extendable tool, the Multi-mission Advanced Communications Hybrid Environment for Test and Evaluation (MACHETE). The design and development of MACHETE began in 2000 and is constantly evolving. Currently, MACHETE contains Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) protocol standards such as Proximity-1, Advanced Orbiting Systems (AOS), Packet Telemetry/Telecommand, Space Communications Protocol Specification (SCPS), and the CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP). Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) is an end-to-end network architecture designed to provide communication in and/or through highly stressed networking environments. Stressed networking environments include those with intermittent connectivity, large and/or variable delays, and high bit error rates. The DTN research group (DTNRG) leads the field in DTN research. Members of the DTNRG created the Bundle Protocol (BP) to implement the DTN architecture. The key capabilities of the bundle protocols include custody-based reliability, ability to cope with intermittent connectivity, ability to take advantage of scheduled and opportunistic connectivity, and late binding of names to addresses. In this paper, we report on the addition of MACHETE Bundle Protocol model needed to support DTN research. To illustrate the use of MACHETE with the additional BP model, we provide an example simulation and benchmark its performance. We demonstrate the use of the Bundle Protocol and discuss statistics gathered concerning the total time needed to simulate numerous bundle transmissions.

Journal of Critical Reviews, 2019

In the paper entitled "FPGA Implementation of Space Qualified Bundle Protocol for Satellite Communication" a CCSDS proposed Bundle Protocol for delay / disruption tolerant networks in space is designed. The paper presents software coding and hardware implementation of Bundle Protocol using VHDL programming and its implementation on Xilinx Vertex 4 xc4vfx60 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGAs). The existing TCP /IP based Internet protocols have many assumptions built into their architecture which make them not suitable for space. Compared to the present Internet architecture, delay / disruption tolerant networking (DTN) technology uses store and forward paradigm for latency as long as a year, persistent storage of protocol data units, custody transfer and self delimiting numeric values (SDNV) encoding scheme to minimize the transmission bandwidth. The proposed methodology in this paper is useful in highly stressed communications in space environments especially those with long link delay, intermittent connectivity, network partitions, frequent link disruptions and fewer node resources. The main focus of this paper is to design and demonstrate a three node test set up delay and disruption tolerant network lacking end-to-end connectivity, asymmetric data rates, variable delays, and high packet error rates.

2nd ERCIM Workshop on …, 2008

We propose Delay-Tolerant Transport Protocol (DTTP) to address reliable data transfer in stressed network environments, such as space communications. Since existing TCP mechanisms do not work well (or at all) for such networks, new transport schemes are required. Intermittent connectivity in space environments calls for new transport approaches that smoothly adapt to the special networking conditions. DTTP is primarily a transport layer protocol and satisfies the inherent architecture requirements of Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) in the absence of IP network infrastructure. It allows for reliable, efficient data transfer offering a number of application-oriented transmission strategies. Otherwise, when an IP architecture exists, DTTP operates as a standalone transport entity which interfaces with IP directly. We introduce the protocol's properties and functionality that enable its deployment in challenged networks. We conduct simulations that demonstrate the protocol's efficiency in scenarios with: (i) long propagation delays, (ii) minimum to relatively high packet error-rate, and (iii) intermittent connectivity.

2010

The international space community has begun to recognize that the established model for management of communications with spacecraft -commanded data transmission over individual pair-wise contacts -is operationally unwieldy and will not scale in support of increasingly complex and sophisticated missions such as NASA's Constellation project. Accordingly, the international Inter-Agency Operations Advisory Group (IOAG) i chartered a Space Internetworking Strategy Group (SISG), which released its initial recommendations in a November 2008 report. The report includes a recommendation that the space flight community adopt Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) to address the problem of interoperability and communication scaling, especially in mission environments where there are multiple spacecraft operating in concert. This paper explores some of the issues that must be addressed in implementing, deploying, and operating DTN as part of a multi-mission, multi-agency space internetwork as well as benefits and future operational scenarios afforded by DTN-based space internetworking.

IEEE Access, 2022

In [A8], Li et al. present a survey on laser communications 42 ranging from terminal, link, and architectures. In [A9], De Rango and Tropea propose a bundle manage-44 ment layer that can be coupled to routing approaches for 45 InterPlanetary Networks or Delay Tolerant Networks. The 46 authors show that the proposed approach brings significant 47 improvements in terms of delivery time when applied to 48 Earliest Arrival Optimal Delivery Ratio (EAODR) routing. The Guest Editors hope that this Special Section will bene-50 fit the scientific community and contribute to the knowledge 51 base for the next-generation internet, where satellite-based 52 networks are becoming an integrated part of the internet 53 infrastructure. The Guest Editors would like to take this 54 opportunity to applaud the contributions of the authors to this 55 Special Section.

2013

NASA proposes to develop a common infrastructure for all its forthcoming space exploration missions. This infrastructure called the Interplanetary Internet (IPN) will take the Internet of the Earth to outside planets and facilitate in the efficient transfer of the huge amount of scientific data collected by the space probes back to Earth. The development of an efficient transport protocol for the Interplanetary Internet is a major challenge to the research community. In this paper, a survey has been done for all the major transport protocols developed for deep space communication. The paper discusses the infrastructure of the IPN along with the major challenges for deep space communication. Emphasis has been made on the issues of transport protocol design for LEO-GEO based satellite networks and deep space communication networks. The genesis of the work on Interplanetary Internet and the evolution of the concept of Delay Tolerant Networks have been explained. An attempt has been mad...

2006

NASA's demonstration of the successful transmission of relay data through the orbiting Mars Odyssey, Mars Global Surveyor, and Mars Express by the Mars Exploration Rovers has shown not only the benefit of using a relay satellite for multiple landed assets in a deep space environment but also the benefit of international standards for such an architecture. As NASA begins the quest defined in the Vision for Exploration with robotic and manned missions to the Moon, continues its study of Mars, and is joined in these endeavors by countries worldwide , landed assets transmitting data through relay satellites will be crucial for completing mission objectives. However, this method of data delivery will result in increased complexity in routing and prioritization of data transmission as the number of missions increases. Also, there is currently no standard method among organizations conducting such missions to return these data sets to Earth given a complex environment. One possibility for establishing such a standard is for mission designers to deploy protocols which fall under the umbrella of Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN). These developing standards include the Bundle Protocol (BP) which provides a standard, secure, store and forward mechanism designed for high latency and asymmetric communication links and the Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP) which is used to provide a reliable deep space link transmission service.

Mobile Lightweight …, 2009

As the number and complexity of space missions increases, space communications enter a new era, where internetworking gradually replaces or assists traditional telecommunication protocols. The Delay Tolerant Network (DTN) architecture has recently emerged as a communication system for challenged networks, originally designed for the Interplanetary Internet. In the context of our project with ESA called "Extending Internet into Space -ESA DTN Testbed Implementation and Evaluation" we intend to deploy a distributed, flexible and scalable DTN testbed for space communications. The testbed will provide the supportive infrastructure for the design and evaluation of space-suitable DTN protocols, architectures, and routing policies to allow efficient deep-space communications. Throughout the project, we will demonstrate the operational capabilities of the DTN protocols in space; design and evaluate novel transport protocols and architectures for reliable data transfer in space; and investigate routing algorithms that comply with ESA's policies and resource status.