Small Space Platform Enhanced Internet Protocol Stack Device

Wireless communication of small, nano and micro satellites will play a vital role to NASA mission and marketability of the satellite. The use of an Internet-based protocol, especially TCP/IP, can provide seamless network command and control continuity between terrestrial and space-based platforms and environments, as well as between distributed ground and space stations. However, long propagation and/or large transmission errors can significantly degrade current TCP/IP performance. In addition, current TCP is too complex to fit in a small footprint, which is required in microsats and nanosats. To address this NASA/ARC need for wireless networking technologies for small launch vehicles, Broadata Communications, Inc. proposes to develop a Small Space Platform Internet Protocol Stack with Space-Enhanced TCP technology (or SSP IP & TCP in short) to dramatically increase TCP/IP performance (20 times improvements over standard TCP/IP was demonstrated in Phase I) and enable the use of TCP/IP for processor-footprint constrained spacecraft in NASA missions. The overall goal of this Phase II project is to further develop the SSP IP & TCP technology, and to produce a full-scale, highly-optimized, IP embeddable SSP IP & TCP prototype system for placement in NASA networks with micro- or nano-satellite platforms. Our Phase II work plan is designed to complete SSP IP & TCP development and to produce: (a) a miniature, nanosat integrateable, standalone embedded network system module that provides all SSP IP & TCP functionalities and can directly meet NASA needs and resource-constraint integration requirements, and (b) a full-scale SSP IP &TCP software package that supports multiple network communication interfaces and provides automated installation for Linux or Windows operation systems.