Low-Cost/Robust Nanosatellite Spacecraft for Distributed, Communication Systems Constellations

Both DOD and NASA have future missions that require the launch and deployment of an increasing number of single spacecraft, as well as multi-craft constellations. The desire to minimize cost and ensure the robustness of these high value assets has givenrise to the need for on-orbit inter-satellite communications that provides redundancy and fault tolerant satellite-to-satellite communications. The increased use of the Internet and wireless technologies for terrestrial based communications has sparkedadvancements in the robustness and reliability of hardware and software components. Using these methodologies, ASI is proposing a Satellite Constellation Internet Protocol (SCIP) for Satellite Constellation Management. ASI will develop methodologies thatwill allow the expansion of the current internet to space based hosts. These hosts will have the capability to communicate, exchange information, and route traffic to other nodes as if they were terrestrial based. The SCIP will leverage current internettechnologies and enhance them to handle the space environment and increased node-to-node latency.Robust Satellite to Satellite communications. High Bandwidth communications to areas without high bandwidth infrastructure. Satellite constellationmanagement methodologies. Low cost, low risk, high fault tolerant communications networks in the sky.