Destination-directed, packet-switched architecture for a geostationary communications satellite network

Abstract

A major goal of the Digital Systems Technology Branch at the NASA Lewis Research Center is to identify and develop critical digital components and technologies that either enable new commercial missions or significantly enhance the performance, cost efficiency, and/or reliability of existing and planned space communications systems. NASA envisions a need for low-data-rate, interactive, direct-to-the-user communications services for data, voice, facsimile, and video conferencing. The network would provide enhanced very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) communications services and be capable of handling data rates of 64 kbps through 2.048 Mbps in 64-kbps increments. Efforts have concentrated heavily on the space segment; however, the ground segment has been considered concurrently to ensure cost efficiency and realistic operational constraints. The focus of current space segment developments is a flexible, high-throughput, fault-tolerant onboard information-switching processor (ISP) for a geostationary satellite communications network. The Digital Systems Technology Branch is investigating both circuit and packet architectures for the ISP. Destination-directed, packet-switched architectures for geostationary communications satellites are addressed