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Applicability of delay tolerant networking to distributed satellite systems

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Abstract

Currently, a trend towards distributed small satellite missions is emerging using cooperating satellites to achieve joint mission objectives, e.g. for earth observation. Communication is a key feature when cooperation between satellites is desired. Typically those satellite networks are affected by slow data rates, high packet loss and intermittent connectivity. To address these challenges the store-and-forward approach of the delay tolerant networking (DTN) concept is investigated in this article. Network simulations of typical scenarios were carried out and evaluated to derive statements about the applicability of the DTN approach to networks in low earth orbits.

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Notes

  1. http://www.dtnrg.org/.

  2. http://sourceforge.net/projects/ion-dtn/.

  3. http://trac.ibr.cs.tu-bs.de/project-cm-2012-ibrdtn.

  4. https://www.nsnam.org/.

  5. https://linuxcontainers.org/lxc/.

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Acknowledgments

Main parts of the investigations were performed in the course of the BayKoSM project, funded by the Bavarian Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany

    A. Freimann, A. Kleinschrodt & K. Schilling

  2. Zentrum für Telematik e.V., Magdalene-Schoch-Straße 5, 97074, Würzburg, Germany

    T. Tzschichholz

  3. Hochschule Bochum, Höseler Platz 2, 42579, Heiligenhaus, Germany

    M. Schmidt

Authors
  1. A. Freimann
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  2. T. Tzschichholz
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  3. M. Schmidt
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  4. A. Kleinschrodt
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  5. K. Schilling
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Freimann.

Additional information

This paper is based on a presentation at the German Aerospace Congress, September 22–24, 2015, Rostock, Germany.

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Freimann, A., Tzschichholz, T., Schmidt, M. et al. Applicability of delay tolerant networking to distributed satellite systems. CEAS Space J 8, 323–332 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-016-0127-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-016-0127-3

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