>> The Internet, ubiquitous, wireless communications,
automatic control systems -- these are all familiar aspects
of our everyday lives here on earth.
Over the last decade, these
and other technological advances have enhanced the way we live.
For remote human and robotic exploration, wireless
and network technologies can be further exploited and enhanced
for increased automation, awareness,
and probability of Mission success.
The new network technology called Disruption-Tolerant
Networking, or DTN, is of particular interest
for space exploration.
>> 3, 2, 1.
>> It's released and on its way.
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>> Network communication initiated.
>> NASA's Space communications
and navigation team is partnering with Vint Cerf,
co-inventor of the TCP/IP protocol,
JPL distinguished scientist and vice president at Google,
to develop, mature and accelerate the infusion of DTN
into space communication networks.
>> The Delay
and Disruption-Tolerant Networking protocol environment
allows for a much broader range of applications to be supported,
ranging from the kind of low-delay,
very rapid interaction that we get on Planet Earth
to the interplanetary uncertain delay, uncertain disruption.
It works across all of those regimes,
so it's a much richer system
than the one we've ever had before.
>> The collaborative effort supports a series of tests
that will evaluate DTN-enabled systems for use in space,
and also facilitate their application
in terrestrial networks.
At Johnson Space Center, NASA scientists
and engineers are evaluating DTN technology
over wireless communication and sensor networks,
and are evolving the technology
to support future robotic and human missions.
>> All networks now online.
>> Once scenario in which DTN will enhance the safety
and situational awareness during operations is tracking
of a Rover robot, or astronauts.
For this test, crew members leave the habitat
to simulate a simple trek across the terrain.
Crew members back at the habitat and the operations team
at the Mission Control Center monitor the vehicle
as it moves through the terrain.
Navigation data is transmitted from the vehicle to the habitat
over an 802.16 wireless network.
During this scenario,
the vehicle is seen moving behind a large object,
and suddenly a loss of signal occurs
between the habitat and the Rover.
During this time, the DTN node, located on the Rover,
continues to store data during the outage.
Once the vehicle moves from behind the object,
the link to the local network is restored.
The DTN node begins to transmit both new data as well
as stored data back to the habitat.
Crew members are now able to see the position track updated
on the display, where the trajectory pertaining
to stored data is shown as a different color.
>> 3, 2, 1.
Tracking initiated.
>> With the growth of available data afforded
by radio frequency identification, or RFID,
and wireless sensor networks, systems must be able
to accommodate a continual, event-driven flow of data
in an automated fashion.
Current techniques require labor-intensive ground
base scheduling.
DTN can significantly improve network performance
and efficiency.
Future systems must allow
for seamless merging of mobile networks.
For example, DTN, in conjunction
with advanced middleware technology, called Bionet,
will enable automatic tracking
of RFID-tagged inventory transferred
between mobile environments.
As the lunar electric Rover approaches the habitat,
802.11 wireless networks merge when in range.
As the crew leaves the Rover,
they remove two cargo transfer bags, or CTBs.
As the crew moves away from the vehicle, items are removed
from the Rover inventory database.
As the crew enters the habitat, items passing
through the RFID portal are identified,
and the habitat monitor shows inventory increasing.
At the same time,
ground consoles automatically receive updates.
>> The DTN project is a NASA agency project,
and as part of that we've set
up something called the DTN experimental network.
This essentially is several nodes at each Center
that are interconnected.
They're DTN nodes at each center,
and it's essentially a test bed that the Agency uses for testing
out different DTN applications at different scenarios.
We use it to isolate problems with the DTN technology,
then we work on fixes and come back and try and test them again
and see if they've been corrected or not.
It's a great way to get all the centers
and all the smart minds together to do some investigative work
and some engineering work to improve the DTN protocol.
>> DTN technology will allow local and remote databases
to be synchronized automatically,
as RFID-tagged inventory is stored, relocated,
utilized, or discarded.
Within an environment such as a habitat,
even if the synchronization is interrupted by a network outage,
no data will be lost and synchronization will resume
when connectivity is restored.
Smart shelf, RFID soft stowage,
and RFID recycle bin technologies enable automated
inventory tracking and localization.
>> For a lot of mobile applications,
where connectivity is often unreliable,
DTN will be a very powerful adjunct
to today's traditional world.
In addition to that, sensor networks can also make use
of this protocol, because in a sensor environment, you may
or may not have the connectivity that you need.
Sometimes you have to be very quiet while you're waiting
for the sun to come out so you can recharge your battery.
So that means the link that you would have provided
isn't available.
Mesh connectivity and store-and-forward operation,
is a natural with the DTN architecture.
So I'm anticipating a lot
of terrestrial applications involving sensing
and involving mobile operation.
>> Other DTN-derived benefits include the efficient
and reliable delivery of critical data --
for example, biomedical telemetry
that must reach a ground-based flight surgeon for diagnosis.
Here, engineers are testing the scenario
by transferring heart rate telemetry during a
communication outage.
The engineer looks at the inventory monitor and can see
which RFID soft stowage cell the monitor is in,
but not the exact CTB.
The engineer is able to quickly identify
which CTB the monitor is in by using a hand-held scanner.
If the network link is available,
the data will automatically transfer
to the flight surgeon on the ground.
If the link is out, the data will be stored
and automatically transferred by the DTN
when the link is re-established.
Without DTN and advanced middleware,
ground controllers would be required
to determine the correct time span of data
and build commands to retrieve it.
When the flight surgeon completes diagnosis
and prescribes medicine, it can be quickly located.
>> What excites me most about wireless technology is
that it's always changing.
There's always a new problem to solve,
and wireless technology provides the answers
for a lot of questions.
But new questions keep coming up, and they're pushing
for bigger and better applications.
And just the fact that wireless technology's always changing
means there's always work to be done, and just allows us
to keep busy and keep doing what we do.
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