The Internet protocols are attractive for use with Earth satellites and other remote instrument platforms. However, the protocols have difficulty coping with the intermittent radio contacts, the lack of end-to-end connectivity to some nodes, the high-rate burst nature of some connections, and the limited computer resources on small platforms. We propose three innovations that alleviate the difficulties and allow the construction of Internet products that support a wide range of NASA and commercial applications. A distinctive feature of our approach is the Data Ferry - a node that joins disconnected segments of a network to move data files reliably between nodes that cannot exchange data directly. In addition, we propose two supporting capabilities to improve data communications - a fast file system with minimal resource consumption and a data transfer service protocol that builds on Internet capabilities. In Phase I we plan to develop public definitions for the software and protocols with the objective of encouraging a new standard. In Phase II we will develop and release a reference implementation of the software. In Phase I we will also determine the feasibility of a very high-speed hardware/software unit that we propose to build in Phase II and then commercialize.
Potential Commercial Applications:The market shows considerable interest in the use of networking protocols to transfer data to and from a broad range of devices that operate in many environments. The proposed technology will meet the demand for data transfers under difficult conditions. For example, the Data Ferry system works when there is no complete connection between nodes, and can be used to smooth bursts of data so that one can use a lower cost wide-area connection in series with a low-duty cycle high-speed connection. Since the data transfers are automatic, manual operations costs are significantly reduced or eliminated. The proposed technology has the potential to develop into a ground system product for servicing small satellites, or into a communication package for aircraft gathering data from or delivering data to remote areas.
