MAHATMA GANDHI INSTITUTE OF

TECHNOLOGY

ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT

SEMINAR TOPIC
DEEP SPACE COMMUNICATION &NETWORKS

SUBMITTED BY:
M.Vamshi Krishna Reddy
21261A04G6

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Presentation, inspiration and motivation have always played a key role in the
success of any venture. I express my sincere thanks to Dr.S.Praveena
(Assoc.Professor) and Dr.S.Siva Reddy (Asst.Professor) for their technical
guidance and giving me an opportunity to expand my knowledge in the field to
present the seminar.
I acknowledge my indebtedness and deep sense of gratitude to our Head of the
Dept., Prof. SP Singh, Electronics and Communication Engineering department
as well as the faculty of Electronics and Communication Engineering
department for their elevating inspiration, encouraging in the completion of this
report.
I express my deep sense of gratitude to Prof. G. Chandra Mohan Reddy Principal
of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technology to encourage us to the highest peak
and to provide us the opportunity to prepare this report.

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 ABSTRACT

In the next two decades, humans are going to experience a grand age of deep-
space exploration, especially in Mars and Lunar spaces. These relatively frequent
and long-term activities provide the opportunity, and at the same time, demands
the necessity for a true interplanetary network as an essential infrastructure for
future deep-space exploration.
In this study, we try to provide a picture and a perspective in the current network
protocol architectures for future deep-space internetworking.The primary
purpose of the Deep Space Network (DSN) is to serve as a communications
instrument for deep space exploration, providing communications between the
spacecraft and the ground facilities.The uplink communications channel provides
instructions or commands to the spacecraft. The downlink communications
channel provides command verification and spacecraft engineering and science
instrument payload data.
Deep space communication and networking are pivotal in enabling exploration,
scientific research, and interplanetary missions. As missions extend further into
the solar system and beyond, traditional point-to-point communication systems
face limitations in terms of latency, signal attenuation, and scalability. This paper
explores advancements in communication protocols, interplanetary internet
architecture, and delay-tolerant networking (DTN) to address these challenges.

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 CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. HISTORY
3. CHALLENGES
4. DEEP SPACE NETWORKING
5. WORKING
6. FUNCTIONS
7. PROTOCOLS
8. FREQUENCY BANDS
9. FUTURE OF DSN
10. INDIAN DEEP SPACE NETWORK
11. CONCLUSION
12. REFERENCES

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 1. INTRODUCTION

Deep space exploration and utilization are all along the dreams of human beings.
The exploration and utilization of the deep space are all along the dreams of
human beings. Since the Soviet Union began to explore the moon by using moon-
1 in January 1959, there has existed drastic competition in the area of deep space
exploration and utilization among the countries all over the world, especially
among the United State, Russia and some countries in Europe. Besides the
technologies of launching and controlling of the probe, deep space
communications has played an important role in deep space exploration.
Deep Space Communication transmits the information obtained by the probe to
the ground and processes and analyzes it. Deep space usually refers to the outer
space more than 2 million kilometers away from the earth. And deep space
communications is referred to as communication between the earth and other
planets (including the Moon, the Mars, the Jupiter etc.). Now spacecrafts are send
to the farthest planet Pluto called Newhorizons which will enter into Pluto’s orbit
in 2015. Among them, the explorations to the Mars and moon are more frequent.
In recent forty years, Russia, United State and several Europe countries have
made explorations to the Mars more than thirty times and sent probes to the
Moon. European Space Agency (ESA), Japan, China and India also have their
own Moon exploration probes right now.
This type of communication is essential for various aspects of space exploration
and scientific research beyond Earth's immediate vicinity.
Remote Control and Monitoring: Spacecraft operating in deep space, such
as rovers on Mars or probes exploring the outer planets, are often too far away to
be controlled in real-time due to the time delay in signal transmission. Deep space
communication allows engineers and scientists to send commands to these
spacecraft and receive telemetry data, enabling remote control and monitoring of
their activities.
Data Transmission: Space probes collect vast amounts of scientific data,
including images, spectroscopic readings, and other measurements. Transmitting
this data back to Earth allows scientists to analyze and interpret the information,
leading to new discoveries about celestial bodies, planetary environments, and
the cosmos as a whole.

Navigation and Positioning: Deep space communication provides the

means for accurately determining the spacecraft's position and trajectory. This is

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crucial for navigation, ensuring that missions stay on target and avoid obstacles,
gravitational influences, or other hazards during their journeys.

Mission Planning and Corrections: As missions progress, unexpected

challenges can arise. Communication with spacecraft enables mission planners to
assess the situation, make adjustments, and even correct course if necessary. This
adaptability enhances the chances of mission success.
Scientific Research: Many space missions are focused on advancing our
understanding of the universe. Deep space communication allows scientists to
gather data from various celestial bodies, study their composition, atmospheres,
and geological features, and gain insights into the history and evolution of our
solar system and beyond.
Technological Advancements: Developing reliable deep space
communication systems pushes the boundaries of technology. The need for high-
power transmitters, sensitive receivers, advanced coding and error-correction
techniques, and innovative antenna designs drives advancements in
communication technology that have applications beyond space exploration.
Human Spaceflight: For crewed missions to distant locations, such as Mars,
deep space communication is essential for maintaining contact between
astronauts and mission control. It provides a lifeline for communication,
coordination, and emergency response, ensuring the safety and success of human
missions.
Public Engagement and Education: The data and images received from
deep space missions capture the imagination of people around the world. Sharing
these discoveries through public communication channels fosters interest in
science, technology, engineering, and space exploration, inspiring the next
generation of researchers, engineers, and explorers.

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 2.HISTORY
The forerunner of the DSN was established in January 1958, when JPL,then under
contract to the U.S. Army, deployed portable radio tracking stations in Nigeria,
Singapore, and California to receive telemetry and plot the orbit of the Army-
launched Explorer 1, the first successful U.S. satellite.[13] NASA was officially
established on October 1, 1958, to consolidate the separately developing space-
exploration programs of the US Army, US Navy, and US Air Force into one
civilian organization.
On December 3, 1958, JPL was transferred from the US Army to NASA and given
responsibility for the design and execution of lunar and planetary exploration
programs using remotely controlled spacecraft. Shortly after the transfer, NASA
established the concept of the Deep Space Network as a separately managed and
operated communications system that would accommodate all deep space
missions, thereby avoiding the need for each system in the deep space network
and also in communication.
The DSN was given responsibility for its own research, development, and
operation in support of all of its users. Under this concept, it has become a world
leader in the development of low-noise receivers; large parabolic-dish antennas;
tracking, telemetry, and command systems; digital signal processing; and deep
space navigation. The Deep Space Network formally announced its intention to
send missions into deep space on Christmas Eve 1963; it has remained in
continuous operation in one capacity or another ever since.
The largest antennas of the DSN are often called on during spacecraft
emergencies. Almost all spacecraft are designed so normal operation can be
conducted on the smaller (and more economical) antennas of the DSN, but during
an emergency the use of the largest antennas is crucial. This is because a troubled
spacecraft may be forced to use less than its normal transmitter power, attitude
control problems on during spacecraft emergencies. Almost all spacecraft are
designed so normal operation can be conducted on the smaller (and more
economical) antennas of the DSN, but during an emergency the use of the largest
antennas is crucial. This is because a troubled spacecraft may be forced to use
less than its normal transmitter power, attitude control problems may preclude the
use of high-gain antennas, and recovering every bit of telemetry is critical to
assessing the health of the spacecraft and planning the recovery. The most famous
example is the Apollo 13 mission, where limited battery power and inability to
use the spacecraft's high-gain antennas reduced signal levels below the capability
of the Manned Space Flight Network, and the use of the biggest DSN antennas
(and the Australian Parkes Observatory radio telescope) was critical to saving the

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lives of the astronauts. While Apollo was also a US mission, DSN provides this
emergency service to other space agencies as well, in a spirit of inter-agency and
international cooperation.

3.CHALLENGES
Comparison with Normal Communication Compared with common terra and
satellite communications, deep-space communications presents more challenging
environment for data communications. The radio frequency channel
predominantly used for communication typically operates under the following
constraints.
Long Distance: A lot of planets in deep space are several hundred million
kilometers away from the earth. Such long distance results in very low signal to
noise ratio (SNR).
High Signal Propagation Delays: This is due to the enormous distances
involved between the communicating entities and the relativistic constraint
restricting signal transmissions to the speed of light. For example, one-way signal
propagation delays for the Cassini mission to Saturn are in the range of 1 hour
and 8 minutes to 1 hour and 24 minutes.
High Data Corruption Rates: Extremely long distances cause the signals
to be received at extremely low strengths at the receiver, and thereby increase the
probability of bit-errors in the channel due to random thermal noise errors, burst
errors due to solar flares, etc.
Disruption Events: Since communicating entities in deep-space tend to be in
motion relative to one another, the communication channel between them is prone
to disruption. A planetary probe on the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan, for
example, could experience disruption due to the rotation of Titan on its own axis
(when it goes to the night side of Titan), when Titan passes under Saturn’s shadow
during its revolution around the planet, and when other moons/ planets/or the Sun
itself block the line of sight to the destination. Moreover, communicating with an
entity in deep-space requires expensive specialized equipment.
Complex Geography Environment: In the moon and other planets,
conditions such as the temperature radiation and liberation etc are more complex
than those in the earth. For example, the variation of the temperature in the moon
is very high, from -183°C to 127°C. The lowest temperature is -132°C in Mars

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and -140°C in Jupiter. So the electronics in the spacecraft must be designed to
support these extreme temperature variations.
Limited Bandwidth: The available frequency bands for deep space
communication are limited, and multiple spacecraft may need to share these
bands. This can result in limited bandwidth for data transmission, impacting the
speed at which data can be sent and received.

4.DEEP SPACE NETWORKING

When it comes to making a long-distance call, it's hard to top NASA's Deep Space
Network. It’s the largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications system
in the world.
The Deep Space Network - or DSN - is NASA’s international array of giant radio
antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions, plus a few that orbit
Earth. The DSN also provides radar and radio astronomy observations that
improve our understanding of the solar system and the larger universe.
The DSN is operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which also
operates many of the agency's interplanetary robotic space missions.
The antennas of the Deep Space Network are the indispensable link to explorers
venturing beyond Earth. They provide the crucial connection for commanding
our spacecraft and receiving their never before seen images and scientific
information on Earth, propelling our understanding of the universe, our solar
system and ultimately, our place within it.
DSN currently consists of three deep-space communications facilities located
such that a distant spacecraft is always in view of at least one station.[1][2][3]
They are:
the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (35°25′36″N
116°53′24″W) outside Barstow, California. For details of Goldstone's
contribution to the early days of space probe tracking, see Project Space Track;
the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (40°25′53″N 4°14′53″W), 60
kilometres (37 mi) west of Madrid, Spain; and
the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) in the Australian
Capital Territory (35°24′05″S 148°58′54″E), 40 kilometres (25 mi) southwest of
Canberra, Australia near the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

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Each facility is situated in semi-mountainous, bowl-shaped terrain to help shield
against radio frequency interference.[4] The strategic placement of the stations
permits constant observation of spacecraft as the Earth rotates, which helps to
make the DSN the largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications
system in the world.
The strategic placement of these sites permits constant communication with
spacecraft as our planet rotates – before a distant spacecraft sinks below the
horizon at one DSN site, another site can pick up the signal and carry on
communicating.

The DSN supports NASA's contribution to the scientific investigation of the Solar
System. It provides a two-way communications link that guides and controls
various NASA uncrewed interplanetary space probes, and brings back the images
and new scientific information these probes collect. All DSN antennas are
steerable, high-gain, parabolic reflector antennas.
The antennas and data delivery systems make it possible to:
acquire telemetry data from spacecraft.
transmit commands to spacecraft.
upload software modifications to spacecraft.
track spacecraft position and velocity.
perform Very Long Baseline Interferometry observations.
measure variations in radio waves for radio science experiments.
gather science data.
monitor and control the performance of the network.

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 5.WORKING
Distance is the main problem in space communications, since the intensity of
electromagnetic radiation decreases according to 1/r2, that is why signals from
deep space probes are usually very weak when they reach the Earth. In order to
receive the faint signal back on Earth large parabolic disc antennas are used. To
collect as much as possible of the faint signal the antenna dish must be big. Since
the electromagnetic radiation cannot move faster than the speed of light there are
considerable time lag introduced in the communications making real time
communications impossible.
It takes over 5 hours for a signal from earth to reach the orbit of Pluto in the outer
part of the solar system. In order to communicate with the Earth the spacecraft
must have a free line of sight to the Earth, since radio waves cannot pass through
large solid objects such as planets and moons. A space probe orbiting a planet will
therefore lose contact with earth every time it gets on the far side of the planet.
This means that the spacecraft will not be able to communicate with the Earth at
all times. Even if the probe has a free line of sight to the Earth the receiving
antenna could be on the wrong side of the Earth, however by using several
antennas in different places around the planet that could be solved.
The gain of an antenna is a measure of how good the antenna is at focusing the
radiated energy. A low gain antenna radiates in a wide angle, while a high gain
antenna radiates in a narrow beam. On spacecraft high gain antennas are used to
send scientific measurements at high data rates back to earth as well as receiving
steering commands from earth; these antennas are highly directional and require
very accurate aiming. Spacecraft are always equipped with at least one low gain
antenna often two. These low gain antennas are very important since they can
intercept signals from almost any direction, this is useful if the spacecraft gets
disoriented and the main high gain antenna doesn’t point towards Earth. If the
spacecraft only had a high gain antenna it would then not be able to receive any
more instructions from Earth. The low gain antennas are used in these kinds of
situations as a backup to receive the appropriate commands that will turn the
spacecraft so that the main antenna gets properly aligned to earth again. However,
the low gain antenna can only handle a fraction of the data rate compared to the
high gain antenna.

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 6.FUNCTIONS
Some of the functions of DSN are shown below
Telemetry
The purpose of the Telemetry System is to provide the capability to acquire,
process, decode and distribute deep space probe and Earth orbiter telemetry data.
Telemetry data consists of science and engineering information modulated on
radio signals transmitted from the spacecraft. The Telemetry System performs
three main functions: Telemetry data acquisition, telemetry data conditioning and
transmission to projects and telemetry system validation.two types of
telemetry, science data and engineering data. science data is the important data
because the mission success depends on this data. engineering data contains the
health and positional information of the spacecraft.
Spacecraft Command
The purpose of the Command System is to provide the means by which a Project
controls the activities of its spacecraft. Control information (Command Data),
provided by the Project, is modulated on the RF carrier and transmitted to a
spacecraft by a DSN station. The Command System functions as a transfer
medium between the Project Control Center and its spacecraft.
Radiometric Tracking
The purpose of the Tracking System is to provide two-way communication
between Earth based equipment and spacecraft, to make measurements that will
allow the state vector (position and velocity) of spacecraft to be determined.
Very Long Baseline Interferometry
The purpose of the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) System is to
provide the means of directly measuring plane-of-the-sky angular positions of
radio sources (natural or spacecraft), DSN station locations, interstation time and
frequency offsets, and Earth orientation parameters.
Radio Science
The field of Radio Science improves our knowledge of the solar system and the
theory of general relativity through radio frequency experiments performed
between spacecraft and the Deep Space Network's (DSN) Radio Science System.
In the past, Radio Science has performed experiments which have allowed

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scientists to characterize planetary atmospheres and ionospheres, characterize
planetary surfaces, characterize the planetary rings, characterize the Solar corona,
confirm general relativity, characterize interplanetary plasma, search for
gravitational waves, characterize planetary gravity, and determine the mass of the
planets, moons, and asteroids.
Monitor and Control
The purpose of the Monitor and Control System is two-fold: to provide real time
monitor data to projects which reflect the status of project support by DSN
systems, and to provide monitor and control capabilities to operators of DSN
systems' components.

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 7.PROTOCOLS

A communications protocol is usually associated with one of the seven layers

defined in the OSI Basic Reference Model. Although some space
communications protocols do not fit well with the OSI seven-layer model, this
Report uses this model for categorizing the space communications protocols.
The space communications protocols are defined for the following five layers of
the ISO model:
a) Physical Layer;
b) Data Link Layer;

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c) Network Layer;
d) Transport Layer;
e) Application Layer

As in most terrestrial networks, protocols of the Session and Presentation Layers

of the OSI model are rarely used over space links.
CCSDS does not formally define Application Program Interfaces (APIs) for the
space communications protocols, but most CCSDS standards provide abstract
service definitions in the form of primitives following the conventions established
by ISO. A primitive is an abstract representation of the services provided by the
protocol layer, but it does not depend on any implementation technology. This
abstract specification may be used as a reference for developing an API.
PHYSICAL LAYER
CCSDS has an omnibus standard for the Physical Layer called the Radio
Frequency and Modulation Systems, to be used for space links between
spacecraft and ground stations. The Proximity-1 Space Link Protocol also
contains recommendations for the Physical Layer of proximity space links.
DATA LINK LAYER
CCSDS defines two Sublayers in the Data Link Layer of the OSI Model: the Data
Link Protocol Sublayer and the Synchronization and Channel Coding Sublayer.
The Data Link Protocol Sublayer specifies methods of transferring data units
provided by the higher layer over a point-to-point space link using data units
known as Transfer Frames. The Synchronization and Channel Coding Sublayer
specifies methods of synchronization and channel coding for transferring
Transfer Frames over a space link.
CCSDS has developed several protocols for the Data Link Protocol Sublayer of
the Data Link Layer:
a) TM Space Data Link Protocol;
b) TC Space Data Link Protocol;
c) AOS Space Data Link Protocol;
d) Proximity-1 Space Link Protocol—Data Link Layer ;
e) USLP;

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The above protocols provide the capability to send data over a single space link.
TM, TC, AOS, and USLP have provisions for inserting secured user data into a
frame using the SDLS Protocol and the associated SDLS Extended Procedures.
However, there have been no security requirements to date established for
Proximity-1. The SDLS protocol can provide security services, such as
authentication and confidentiality, for TM Transfer Frames, AOS Transfer
Frames, TC Transfer Frames, or USLP Transfer Frames. It should be noted that
the use of the SDLS function within these protocols is optional. The SDLS
Extended Procedures provides Key and Security Associations management
services needed to operate an SDLS secured space link.
CCSDS has developed three standards for the Synchronization and Channel
Coding Sublayer of the Data Link Layer:
a) TM Synchronization and Channel Coding;
b) TC Synchronization and Channel Coding;
c) Proximity-1 Space Link Protocol—Coding and Synchronization Layer;
d) Flexible Advanced Coding and Modulation Scheme for High Rate Telemetry
Applications;
e) CCSDS Space Link Protocols over ETSI DVB-S2 Standard;
TM Synchronization and Channel Coding is used with the TM or AOS Space
Data Link Protocol or USLP, TC Synchronization and Channel Coding is used
with the TC Space Data Link Protocol or USLP, and the Proximity-1 Space Link
Protocol—Coding and Synchronization Layer is used with the Proximity-1 Space
Link Protocol or USLP. The TM, TC, and AOS Space Data Link Protocols; the
Proximity-1 Space Link Protocol (Data Link Layer); and USLP are called the
Space Data Link Protocols in this document.
BETWEEN DATA LINK AND NETWORK LAYERS
Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP) provides optional reliability mechanisms
on top of an underlying (usually data link layer) communication service.
From the point of view of protocols above LTP (e.g., Bundle Protocol), the service
LTP provides is optionally reliable delivery of layer-(N+1) Protocol Data Units
(PDUs) across a link. Layer-(N+1) PDUs are encapsulated within LTP blocks,
which are segmented for transmission over data link protocols; typically, each
LTP segment is encapsulated within a single link-layer protocol data unit, that is,
an Encapsulation Packet. It should be noted that LTP segments may also be
encapsulated within Space Packets. The limited size of the Space Packet does not

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in itself argue against the use of Space Packets to carry DTN traffic, because large
bundles encapsulated within large LTP blocks will in most cases be segmented
into smaller LTP segments for transmission. However, the reduced overhead of
the Encapsulation Packet makes it a more bandwidth-efficient alternative to the
Space Packet. For more information.
CCSDS-recognized Internet datagrams can also be transferred by CCSDS Space
Data Link Protocols over a space link, multiplexed or not-multiplexed, using the
shim protocol, IP over CCSDS.

NETWORK LAYER
Space communications protocols of the Network Layer provide the function of
routing or forwarding higher-layer data through the entire data system that
includes both onboard and ground subnetworks. CCSDS recognizes two
standards for interfacing at the Network Layer:
a) CCSDS-recognized Internet Protocol datagrams.
b) The DTN architecture’s Bundle Protocol.
Delay Tolerant Networking is an architecture that provides automated network
communications much as the Internet architecture does, but it does so over
networks characterized by one or more of the following:
– intermittent connectivity;
– variable delays, which may be large and irregular;
– high bit error rates;
– asymmetric and simplex links.
One core element of DTN is the Bundle Protocol (BP), which serves as the
network-layer protocol in a delay-tolerant network. BP provides end-to-end
network services, operating above the data transport services provided by links
or networks accessed via Convergence Layer Adapters (CLAs), 1 and forming a
store-and-forward network; a BP-based network is an ‘overlay’ network that may
span multiple networks just as the Internet is an overlay network that spans
multiple subnets or local area networks. The Bundle Protocol uses the ‘native’
local protocols (at what is termed the ‘convergence layer’) for communications
within a given network. The interface between the Bundle Protocol and a specific
lower-layer protocol suite is known as a convergence layer adapterwithin the
protocol reference model the Bundle Protocol and several optional convergence

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layer adapters. On the right, two CLAs running above a transport protocol
(intended to be interpreted in the context of the Internet stack) are shown. On the
left, the two CLAs running over LTP and the CLA running on EPP/SPP are
shown. (For more information.
TRANSPORT LAYER
Space communications protocols of the Transport Layer provide users with end-
to-end transport services.
CCSDS has developed SCPS-TP for the Transport Layer. PDUs of a Transport
Layer protocol are usually transferred with a protocol of the Network Layer over
a space link, but they can be transferred directly by a Space Data Link.
Transport protocols used in the Internet (such as TCP, and UDP, ) can also be used
on top of IP datagrams over CCSDS space links. IP Sec may be used with a
Transport protocol of the Internet suite to provide end-to-end data protection
capability.
APPLICATION LAYER
Space communications protocols of the Application Layer provide users with
end-to-end application services such as file transfer and data compression.
CCSDS has developed several protocols for the Application Layer:
a) Asynchronous Messaging Service (AMS).
b) CFDP.
c) Lossless Data Compression.
d) Image Data Compression.
e) Multispectral & Hyperspectral Image Compression.
f) Space Packet Protocol.
g) Message Abstraction Layer (MAL) Space Packet Transport Binding and
Binary Encoding.
AMS is an application layer protocol for end-to-end mission data system message
transfer.
CFDP provides the functionality of the Application Layer (i.e., functions for file
management). The CFDP Store-and-Forward Overlay procedures provide
application specific transfer of data across multiple link-layer hops.

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Each project (or Agency) may also elect to use application-specific protocols not
recommended by CCSDS to fulfill their mission requirements in the Application
Layer over CCSDS space communications protocols.
PDUs of an Application Layer protocol are usually transferred with a protocol of
the Transport Layer over a space link, but they can be transferred directly with a
protocol of the Network Layer.
For the Space Packet Protocol, PDUs are generated and consumed by application
processes that are on a spacecraft or on the ground.
CCSDS Encapsulation Packet Protocol allows encapsulation of PDUs of
CCSDS-recognized protocols, as defined in a SANA registry into Encapsulation
Packets (one PDU per Encapsulation Packet). These packets can then be
transferred over a space link using the VC/MAP Packet Service provided by
CCSDS Space Data Link Protocols.
Applications protocols used in the Internet (such as FTP)can also be used on top
of SCPS-TP, TCP, and UDP over space links.

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 8. FREQUENCY BANDS

Deep space bands and near space bands are frequency bands that have been
allocated to space research services by the International Telecommunication
Union for use in deep space and near space research.

Deep space bands (for space Near space bands (for space
stations more than 2,000,000 km from stations less than 2,000,000 km
Band Earth) from Earth)
designation
Up-link Down-link
Up-link (Earth to Down-link (Space
(Earth to (Space to
space) to Earth)
space) Earth)

S band 2 110–2 120 2 290–2300 2 025–2 110 2 200–2 290

X band 7 145–7 190 8 400–8 450 7 190–7 235 8 450–8 500

K band * * * 25 500–27 000

Ka band 34 200–34 700 31 800–32 300 * *

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 9.FUTURE OF DEEP SPACE NETWORK

1.OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
Optical communications is one tool that can help meet this demand for higher
data volumes by using lasers to enable higher-bandwidth communication. Over
the next few years, NASA has several missions planned to demonstrate laser
communications that will enhance the agency’s ability to explore farther into
space.
Optical communications is one of these enhancements and will provide
significant benefits for missions, including bandwidth increases of 10 to 100
times more than radio frequency systems. Additionally, optical communications
provides decreased size, weight, and power requirements. Less weight means a
less expensive launch. Less power means less drain on the spacecraft’s batteries.
With optical communications supplementing radio, missions will have
unparalleled communications capabilities.
2.QUANTAM COMMUNICATION
A group of physicists from Edinburgh recently proved the possibility of quantum
communications at interstellar distances. This type of communication is based on
the ability to transmit information through the quantum states of particles. Due to
this, a relatively small number of photons can store a lot of information.In
addition, due to the phenomenon of quantum uncertainty, it is impossible to
intercept a quantum message in such a way that no one will find out. Therefore,
for many years, quantum communication has been considered one of the most
promising areas of encryption on Earth.
3.USING AI IN DEEP SPACE COMMUNICATION
Space communication with AI involves the process of integration of various AI
technologies into communication systems used in space. AI can help to improve
the efficiency, reliability, and safety of communication systems used in space by
automating certain tasks, predicting system failures, and optimizing network
performance. For example, AI-powered rovers can explore planets and collect

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data that could be used to enhance communication systems, while predictive
maintenance can help to reduce the risk of system failures. Intelligent signal
processing is used to improve the quality of communication by analyzing and
enhancing signals received from satellites, while space traffic management can
help to prevent collisions by tracking objects in space and predicting collision
risk
10.INDIAN DEEP SPACE NETWORK (IDSN)

The Indian Deep Space Network consists of a 18-m and a 32-m antennae that are
established at the IDSN campus, Byalalu, Bangalore. The Network is augmented
with a couple of stations in the western hemisphere in addition to the 64-m
antenna in Bearslake, Russia to improve the visibility duration and to provide
support from the antipodal point.
The existing ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network) S-
Band Network stations will be used to support the mission during Launch and
Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) that includes Earth Transfer Orbit (ETO) up to a range
of about 1,00,000 km. Although the 18-m antenna is tailored for Chandrayaan-1
mission, the 32-m antenna can also support other planetary missions. The
established IDSN is a state-of-the-art system, with its base band system adhering
to CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems) Standards, thus
facilitating cross-support among other TTC agencies. The supporting network
stations will ensure the adequacy of the link margin for telemetry/dwell, tracking,
telecommand payload data reception. The IDSN station has the responsibility of
receiving the spacecraft health data as well as the payload data in real time. Later,
conditioning of the data takes place, before onward transmission of the same to
Mission Operations Complex at Bangalore. The tracking data comprising Range,
Doppler and Angle data will be transferred to the control center for the purpose
of orbit determination. The payload data will be transmitted to the Indian Space
Science Data Center (ISSDC) as and when received by the payload data
acquisition system, located at the station.
The 18-m dish antenna is configured for Chandryaan-1 mission operations and
payload data collection. The antenna is established at the IDSN Campus, Byalalu,
situated at the outskirts of Bangalore with built in support facilities. A fibre
optic/satellite link will provide the necessary communication link between the
IDSN Station and Mission Operations Complex (MOX) / Indian Space Science
Data Centre (ISSDC). This antenna is capable of S-Band uplink (2 kW) and both
X-Band and S-Band downlink. This system has provision to receive two
downlink carriers in S-Band and one carrier in X-Band (RCP and LCP)

22
simultaneously, whereas, the uplink is either RCP or LCP. The system will have
a G/T of 30/39.5 dB/K (45º elevation, clear sky) for S/X-Band. The base-band
system will adhere to the CCSDS Standards. The station can be remotely operated
from ISTRAC Network Control Centre (NCC). The figure7.1 depicts the 18-m
antenna.

The wheel and track 32-m antenna is a state-of-the-art system that will support
the Chandrayaan-1 mission operations and beyond. This is co-located with 18-m
antenna in the IDSN site at Byalalu. A fibre optics / satellite link will provide the
necessary connectivity between the IDSN site and Spacecraft Control Centre /
Network Control Centre. This antenna is designed to provide uplink in both
S-Band (20/2 kW) and X-Band (2.5 kW), either through RCP or LCP. The
reception capability will be in both S-Band and X-Band (simultaneous RCP &
LCP). It can receive two carriers in S-Band and one carrier in X-Band,
simultaneously. The system will have a G/T of 37.5/51 dB/K (45° elevation, clear
sky) for S/X-Band. The base-band will adhere to CCSDS Standards facilitating
cross-support among the space agencies. The station is also equipped for remote
control from the ISTRAC Network Control Centre (NCC).

Existing S-Band ISTRAC Network Indian lower earth orbit satellites are
controlled by the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command (ISTRAC) Network
stations. The Elevation over Azimuth 10/11/12-m dish antennae at the existing
ISTRAC network stations (Bangalore, Lucknow, Mauritius, Bearslake, Biak,
Brunei, Trivandrum and Port Blair) will be augmented to serve the Chandrayaan-
1 mission during Earth Transfer Orbits and Lunar Transfer Trajectory up to a
range of about 1,00,000 km. All these antennae are configured for two-carrier
reception (RCP&LCP) and uplink, in either RCP or LCP in S-Band. The G/T of
the stations is 21/23 dB/K. The base-band will adhere to CCSDS Standards,
facilitating cross-support among the TTC agencies. The stations are being
equipped for remote control from the ISTRAC Network Control Centre (INCC).
These stations are linked to MOX by dedicated communication links.

External network stations APL, JPL (Goldstone, Canberra, Madrid), Hawaii,

Brazil (Alcantara, Cuiaba) are requisitioned in for the purpose of extended
visibility of Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) operations, as well as to gain
the near continuous visibility during the normal phase operations. All the external
stations will ensure the required compatibility to communicate with the
spacecraft.

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 11.CONCLUSION

This report studied the current network protocol architectures for future deep-
space internetworking. With research on the current technical advances in the
communication technology and the transition in the physical infrastructure, we
categorized most of the constraints and challenges in deep-space internetworking
into four different levels and listed their effects on the network functions in
different layers. The technical characteristics of three current effective
architectures in the CCSDS (i.e., TCP/IP architecture, SPP based architecture and
DTN architecture) were also studied.

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 12. REFERENCES
Overview of space communications protocols.
Network protocol architectures for future deep-space internetworking.
https://seminarprojects.blogspot.com/2013/04/deep-space-communication-
engineering.html
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/dsn
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/scan/services/networks/deep_space_netw
ork/about
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Deep_Space_Network25

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