Universal Space IP Transparent Proxy

Communications applications are strategically moving toward Internet Protocol-based architectures and technologies. Despite IP's huge potential, (e.g. cost effectiveness, reduced development and installation times), it has not proved to be appropriate for space communication applications. IP-based space networking links exhibit poor performance induced by narrow bandwidth, long propagation loops, large transmission errors, and/or intermittent connectivity. In Phase I, Broadata Communications, Inc. (BCI) successfully designed a preliminary network protocol technology to overcome these problems. BCI's innovative Universal Space IP Transparent Proxy (USIT) achieves accurate network measurements and reconfigurations, providing a 10 times, on average, improvement in network throughput, as compared to existing state-of-the-art IP solutions. In addition, the USIT solution is transparent (thus independent of any network functions such as compression) and is seamless (i.e., works with non-USIT network hosts/nodes). Its simplicity will enable it to be placed in a variety of Earth network nodes, ensuring its compatibility with, and ability to improve, network performance in space. In Phase II, BCI will optimize the system's design to develop a full-scale highly optimized system, including two tangible prototypes: a portable space-qualified USIT software package, compatible with existing NASA space network nodes, and, a rack-mountable stand-alone GSSL embedded system, with both hardware and software.