Delay/Disruption-Tolerant Network Testing Using a LEO Satellite

Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) “bundles” have been proposed for deep-space communication in the “Interplanetary Internet.” This paper describes the first DTN bundle protocol testing from space, using the United Kingdom Disaster Monitoring Constellation (UK-DMC) satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The mismatch problems between the different conditions of the private dedicated space-to-ground link and the shared, congested, ground-to-ground links are discussed. DTN, with its ability to transfer files on a hop-by-hop basis across different subnets, is presented as a technology that can be used to alleviate this problem. We describe our operational testing, as well as test configurations, goals and results, and lessons learned.