A Cross-Layer Image Transmission Scheme for Deep Space Exploration

Cross-layer optimization and transmission could bring a significant performance improvement for terrestrial communication systems. However, very limited work has been conducted to address the cross-layer transmission in deep-space communications. To improve the efficiency of downlink image transmission in deep-space communications, this paper proposes a cross-layer image transmission scheme to maximize the throughput. The proposed scheme is designed based on the compressed sensing (CS) for image compression in the application layer, the Spinal codes for error protection in the physical layer and the licklider transmission protocol (LTP) for transmission control in the transport layer. By jointly optimizing across the application, transport, and physical layers, we dynamically adjust the transmission strategies to achieve high image transmission efficiency. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme, we build a semi-physical simulation platform for the Earth- Mars communication scenarios. Extensive simulations are carried out for performance evaluation. Results show that the proposed cross-layer image transmission scheme can significantly improve the performance of transmission efficiency based on comparisons with the other schemes.