New Capabilities for Deep Space Robotic Exploration Enabled by Disruption Tolerant Networking

For much of the past decade NASA and other organizations have been developing the Disruption Tolerant Networking protocol suite with a primary focus on bringing internet-like functionality to space missions. Now that the core protocols are complete, engineers are beginning to incorporate DTN into mission system designs. When we look across the NASA mission needs over the next decade, there are multiple ways DTN can work in concert with end-to-end mission system software to enhance mission capabilities or even enable new types of missions. DTN-enabled space systems can mitigate data loss when radio links are interrupted, improve the efficiency of operations by simplifying downlink planning, automate relay operations and enable coordinated operations among multiple spacecraft. This paper describes key elements of the protocol suite and software applications along with the mission capabilities they can enable.