title: The Interplanetary Internet: a communications infrastructure for Mars exploration.
abstract: A strategy is being developed whereby the current set of internationally standardized space data communications protocols can be incrementally evolved so that a first version of an operational "Interplanetary Internet" is feasible by the end of the decade. This paper describes its architectural concepts, discusses the current set of standard space data communications capabilities that exist to support Mars exploration and reviews proposed new developments. We also speculate that these current capabilities can grow to support future scenarios where human intelligence is widely distributed across the Solar System and day-to-day communications dialog between planets is routine.
authors.affiliation: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, USA. Scott.Burleigh@jpl.nasa.gov
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burleigh
authors.forename: Vinton
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cerf
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Durst
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fall
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hooke
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000592:standards*; D018535:Mars; D017215:Satellite Communications / Q000592:standards*; D016082:Solar System; D013026:Space Flight / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D013686:Telemetry; D014481:United States; D018557:United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration