Simulation and Emulation of the Space Networking Environment

by SHAUN MICHAEL ENDRES This thesis presents methods of simulating and emulating satellite networks, in which the nodes can be orbiting around or located on different planets scattered throughout the solar system. The simulation method works by translating a satellite scenario described in a common orbit propagator to a form that can be interpreted by a popular network simulator. This merger results in a powerful tool to analyze new ideas for protocols designed for deep space networks. The emulation method takes a scenario from the same common orbit propagator and uses a distributed architecture to test a protocol’s implementation. This tool shows whether the protocol’s implementation performs as well as the simulated model claimed. The simulation and emulation methods described in this thesis provide a quick and effective way to take a protocol from an initial idea to verifying the implementation.