International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 20-23, 2003 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / A large selection of hardware and software components are readily available for supporting Internet communication in the ground network environment. These components can be used to construct very powerful and flexible communication systems. The Operating Missions as Nodes on the Internet (OMNI) project at NASA/GSFC has been defining and demonstrating ways to use standard Internet technologies for future space communication. Theses concepts and technologies are also applicable to test range telemetry applications. This paper identifies the network equipment and protocols to support end-to-end IP communication from range sensors and spacecraft instruments to end users. After identifying the end-to-end network hardware and software components, the paper discusses which ones are currently available and lists specific examples of each. This includes examples of space missions currently using Internet technology for end-to-end communication. It also lists missing pieces and includes information on their current status. The goal of this paper is also to stimulate thought and discussion on what steps need to be taken to start filling in the remaining missing pieces for end-to-end range and space network connectivity.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 21, 2002 / Town & Country Hotel and Conference Center, San Diego, California / This paper presents work being done at NASA/GSFC by the Operating Missions as Nodes on the Internet (OMNI) project to demonstrate the application of Internet communication technologies to space communication. The goal is to provide global addressability and standard network protocols and applications for future space missions. It describes the communication architecture and operations concepts that will be deployed and tested on a Space Shuttle flight in July 2002. This is a NASA Hitchhiker mission called Communication and Navigation Demonstration On Shuttle (CANDOS). The mission will be using a small programmable transceiver mounted in the Shuttle bay that can communicate through NASA’s ground tracking stations as well as NASA’s space relay satellite system. The transceiver includes a processor running the Linux operating system and a standard synchronous serial interface that supports the High-level Data Link Control (HDLC) framing protocol. One of the main goals will be to test the operation of the Mobile IP protocol (RFC 2002) for automatic routing of data as the Shuttle passes from one contact to another. Other protocols to be utilized onboard CANDOS include secure login (SSH), UDP-based reliable file transfer (MDP), and blind commanding using UDP. The paper describes how each of these standard protocols available in the Linux operating system can be used to support communication with a space vehicle. It will discuss how each protocol is suited to support the range of special communication needs of space missions.