Session
Technical Session X: The Technology Frontier-- Advanced Technologies, Subsystems, and components for Small Satellites: Section I
Abstract
The goal of this paper is to develop a generic, reconfigurable spacecraft bus architecture that implements IP-based protocols and networking hardware that is common to terrestrial networks. First, a description of the communications architecture for an operational Earth Science mission is presented. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) was selected as an example that shows a typical Earth science mission with a nice complement of varying data rate instruments. We will be able to show through the satellite architecture where IP-based protocols will benefit a new design. Secondly, we develop an IP-based satellite bus design with an Ethernet backbone using standard terrestrial networking components and protocols. The design will be highly configurable to meet many different mission requirements. Adapting the design to the TRMM communications architecture will test the feasibility. We will indicate the subsystems that are part of the design and show examples of how TCP/IP will operate on board the satellite bus. Finally, we present the type of research needed to make IP-based missions a reality. This roadmap will provide NASA the guidance to design complex architectures that will become part of their mission portfolio in the next decade.
Presentation Slides
Conceptual Design of an IP-based Satellite Bus using Internet Technologies
The goal of this paper is to develop a generic, reconfigurable spacecraft bus architecture that implements IP-based protocols and networking hardware that is common to terrestrial networks. First, a description of the communications architecture for an operational Earth Science mission is presented. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) was selected as an example that shows a typical Earth science mission with a nice complement of varying data rate instruments. We will be able to show through the satellite architecture where IP-based protocols will benefit a new design. Secondly, we develop an IP-based satellite bus design with an Ethernet backbone using standard terrestrial networking components and protocols. The design will be highly configurable to meet many different mission requirements. Adapting the design to the TRMM communications architecture will test the feasibility. We will indicate the subsystems that are part of the design and show examples of how TCP/IP will operate on board the satellite bus. Finally, we present the type of research needed to make IP-based missions a reality. This roadmap will provide NASA the guidance to design complex architectures that will become part of their mission portfolio in the next decade.
