Operationalizing LunaNet Service Provider Delay Tolerant Networks on the International Space Station

LunaNet is the framework specified by NASA and key space agencies to deliver communications and positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services in cislunar space. It is an open architecture that includes LunaNet Service Providers (LNSP) to deliver network services to users. Delay and Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) is at the core of LunaNet. DTN is a networking technology specifically designed for interplanetary networks, operating in environments where link delays and disruptions are common, in which traditional TCP/IP architecture does not perform properly. This paper presents the demonstration of an operational LunaNet Service Provider DTN network on the International Space Station (ISS) using the SPATIAM DTN Platform. The demonstration accomplished the setup and operation of an LNSP network for 18 days connecting payloads from the ISS with Earth ground users. This paper explains its key objectives, architecture, results, and future work.