5G-MOSAIC: 5G Mission-Critical Sidelink for Autonomous and Interoperable Communications in Lunar Networks

Communication in lunar environments requires substantial modifications to current state-of-the-art (SOTA) 5G technology. The difficult terrain and long-range requirements of lunar missions introduces critical gaps between the SOTA and requirements, including hardware, inability to communicate outside of base station range, and limited device-to-device connectivity. EpiScirsquo;s solution is to provide NASA lunar missions with 3GPP-capable solutions on terrestrial SWaP-constrained platforms. This project will develop a 3GPP compliant 5G Sidelink (SL) SWaP prototype, which enables peer-to-peer communication when outside of a 5G base stationrsquo;s range and enables direct handset-to-handset connectivity. EpiScirsquo;s solution is three-fold: (1) It is a 5G SL solution (which provides relay, multi-hop, and MANET capabilities); (2) it uses a realistic 5G lunar-surface model (to meet performance evaluation needs); and (3) it is a novel interface design, similar to the Small Cell Forumrsquo;s 5G nFAPI interface, but modified to support 5G SL. While these three aspects provide an overall improved lunar network, EpiScirsquo;s solution includes additional enhancements to data speeds, traffic-offloading, prioritization, and reliability. These enhancements are enabled by an AI-based network manager to optimize traffic flows and modify configuration parameters to provide significant performance improvements. Furthermore, our team has developed a real-time 5G emulation (5GEM) tool, resulting in an adaptable, plug-and-play tool which allows the user to realistically model adverse terrains and observe the performance prior to deployment. Our 5G Mission-Critical Sidelink for Autonomous and Interoperable Communications in Lunar Networks (5G MOSAIC) solution will offer a communication solution with higher reliability and lower latency, ultimately contributing to the success of NASA#39;s lunar missions.nbsp;