I read a fascinating article yesterday about a program NASA is running, with the help of a big shot at Google named Vint Cerf, that would allow for "deep space internet." Basically, they're working on a new protocol, well beyond TCP/IP, that will allow digital communication (or "internet access" to some extent) from millions of miles into space.
The problem with normal data transmission over such vast distances is interference. Space debris, large objects, and various forms of radiation make long range communication quite difficult. Therefore, you'd need to use a new method to overcome this. Enter DTN, or Disruption-Tolerant Networking. Cerf and NASA have been working on the protocol for roughly a decade, and apparently hope to some day use it for deep space communication of digital information.
The idea for DTN reminds me of ad-hoc networking, in that it relies on communicating across nodes. In fact, I think that's where they got the idea. If you daisy-chain a packet of data across several nodes, which are placed relatively close together, you can send it over pretty much any distance. How DTN works is that it prevents packet loss by holding on to data until the coast is clear between two nodes. It takes a very long time to get the message across, but if it's not time-sensitive, then this "interplanetary internet" method is a very feasible route to take.
The problem with normal data transmission over such vast distances is interference. Space debris, large objects, and various forms of radiation make long range communication quite difficult. Therefore, you'd need to use a new method to overcome this. Enter DTN, or Disruption-Tolerant Networking. Cerf and NASA have been working on the protocol for roughly a decade, and apparently hope to some day use it for deep space communication of digital information.
The idea for DTN reminds me of ad-hoc networking, in that it relies on communicating across nodes. In fact, I think that's where they got the idea. If you daisy-chain a packet of data across several nodes, which are placed relatively close together, you can send it over pretty much any distance. How DTN works is that it prevents packet loss by holding on to data until the coast is clear between two nodes. It takes a very long time to get the message across, but if it's not time-sensitive, then this "interplanetary internet" method is a very feasible route to take.
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