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INTERPLANETARY

INTERNET

The Interplanetary Internet is a groundbreaking

concept that envisions a network of

communication nodes in space, including

orbiters, landers, and Earth ground stations. Its

primary goal is to overcome the formidable

challenges posed by interplanetary distances,

including long delays and error-prone links.

Interplanetary communication faces significant

delays due to vast planetary distances, with

light taking about 1.26 seconds to travel from
Earth to the Moon, leading to a disconnected

and error-prone wireless backbone.

This innovative system operates as a store-and-

forward network of internets, enabling

communication across different celestial

bodies. Satellites orbiting planets communicate

with one another, and data is eventually routed

through Earth's internal internet. This

architecture allows scientific data collected by

Mars rovers, such as Curiosity, to be

transmitted to Earth via direct links from Mars
orbiters to Earth ground stations.

To facilitate interplanetary communication,

new protocols and technologies that can

tolerate substantial delays and errors are

crucial. These innovations aim to ensure

reliable communication despite the inherent

challenges of interplanetary distances.

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