Outer Space Communication

NetworksSafeBytes Software

Currently, communication between Earth and astronauts occurs at the Deep Space Network (DSN) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Pasadena, California. The network for communicating with all spacecraft is located within the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This network allows communication across the solar system, millions and billions of miles away from Earth. Originally the United States Army oversaw the launching of the JPL in 1958. By the end of that year the Army turned over control of the JPL to NASA who organized the Deep Space Instrumentation Facility which soon evolved into the DSN.

The DSN can communicate with spacecraft and monitor planets with the use of amplifiers and transmitters which operate in the S-band frequency, part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because of the rotation of the Earth, NASA had to establish two overseas facilities which were separated by 120 degrees longitude. These facilities are located in Australia and South Africa and together with the facility in California they provide for coverage of a complete 360-degree coverage of the Earth’s rotation. These two facilities, along with the laboratory at Goldstone, California have 26m antennas. These antennas allow year-round, around-the-clock communication with spacecraft. People here on Earth are able to monitor, communicate with, and measure space missions. Data such as the images of Mars is transferred to Earth and distributed to television networks because of these antennas. The technology used in DSN antennas is similar to the technology used in the familiar cellular phone, Global Positioning Systems, and police radar. The DSN enables critical scientific evaluation of outer space to occur.

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex is located in Australia and the Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex is located in Spain. Together with the JPL they form the DSN. Without the DSN outer space communication would not be possible. This would severely limit the extent or even eliminate the possibility of space exploration. Therefore, the DSN allows for space exploration to occur. The next step in outer space communication networking is the possibility of outer space internet. This exciting possibility was originally evaluated and investigated by NASA with the help of a company by the name of Vint Cerf. The Interplanetary Internet project was conducted over multiple years.

The project employed use of Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) which Vint Cerf helped to develop. The use of DTN surpasses the capability of regular TCP/IP networking, which was also developed by Vint Cerf. Interplanetary distances, targets being out of a transmitter’s line of sight, and other sources of temporary transmission disruptions are accounted for by DTN. Outer space networking technology is also being used to improve communication here on Earth. With the use of satellites and terrestrial antenna across the globe, service providers are aiming to allow for the seamless transmission of data and information to users around the world. The MUSTANG project is one of the latest attempts to deploy internet links to outer space. It is spearheaded by the French government. This and future endeavors require global cooperation and mutual respect.