NASA's interplanetary Internet tests a success, Vint Cerf triumphs again

NASA is reporting the first successful tests of its Deep Space Network modeled after Earth's own Internet. Instead of using TCP/IP, however, the interplanetary communication network relies upon DTN (Disruption-Tolerant Networking) co-developed by none other than Google's Vinton Cerf. As such, NASA's network does not assume a continuous end-to-end connection -- if a link is lost due to solar storms or a planetary eclipse, the communication node will store the information until the connection is re-established. So, what's the big deal you rightly ask, after all, we've been (purposely) transmitting data to and from space for a half-century. As Leigh Torgerson, manager of NASA's DTN Experiment Operations Center explains it:

"In space today, an operations team must manually schedule each link and generate all the commands to specify which data to send, when to send it, and where to send it. With standardized DTN, this can all be done automatically."

Testing of the Deep Space Network began in October with twice-weekly communications between NASA's Epoxi spacecraft (on a mission to rendezvous with Comet Hartley 2) and nine ground-based nodes meant to simulate Mars landers, orbiters, and operation centers. The International Space Station is scheduled to join the testing next summer. Although the nature of the data transmitted wasn't specified, we can only presume that it was laced with Google ads for Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong.

[Erb @ Nov 19th 2008 5:38AM]

Imagine trying to play an FPS with 4,000 ping O.o

[The Police @ Nov 19th 2008 5:40AM]

A 4 Second delay is very generous for inter-planetary communication.

[Erb @ Nov 19th 2008 6:04AM]

Not really. Its relatively close so it shouldn't be over 4-5 seconds.

384,403 kilometers (Earth To Moon) = 1.28223039 light seconds

Depending on the type of wave it uses, it could be near light speed communication through a vacuum.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Nov 19th 2008 7:12AM]

I don't see the lag problem here. You can clearly see from the picture that those two planets are like RIGHT NEXT TO each other.

[Flashpoint @ Nov 19th 2008 8:29AM]

I'm not moving to Mars till they get 3G.

[BratPAQ @ Nov 19th 2008 9:32AM]

4 seconds within 20,000,000 miles? wow, suddenly speed of light seems so slow to me.

[Rogue_Genius @ Nov 19th 2008 12:03PM]

As long as wireless security keeps the Aliens from leeching our interwebs. How do you secure intergalactic broadband, anyway?

[evplasmaman @ Nov 19th 2008 2:53PM]

LAGGGGGGG

[kyle allen @ Nov 19th 2008 5:38AM]

"309,823,490,234 ping?!! where is this guy?"

[kyle allen @ Nov 19th 2008 5:39AM]

i can see someone beat me to it.... mine was better

[Reader @ Nov 19th 2008 5:45AM]

Saw a similar comment on slashdot, his was better than the product of yours and Erb's.

[Bernhard @ Nov 19th 2008 5:46AM]

No it wasn't :p

[thazlett @ Nov 19th 2008 6:00AM]

lol aliens join couterstrike

[Clyzm @ Nov 19th 2008 5:42AM]

Finally... Porn in space.

[Kris @ Nov 19th 2008 6:53AM]

Sheesh buddy. Please use the code word: pr0n.
So that kids and bosses wont understand.

[linuxamp @ Nov 19th 2008 7:03AM]

Don't forget spam and ads in space as well.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Nov 19th 2008 7:16AM]

@ Kris

Pretty sure the IT guys are onto your "code word" by now, dude.

[Bob @ Nov 19th 2008 8:45AM]

They don't have Seagate harddrives yet though.

[zfurie @ Nov 19th 2008 5:48AM]

Now ET can PM or email home. No more long-distance charges.







"seeeeend mooooooore Reeeeeeeses Pieeeeeeces"

[Patriks7 @ Nov 19th 2008 6:03AM]

"E.T. Facebook home!"

[ed. @ Nov 19th 2008 6:16AM]

now...we can rick roll the aliens.

[SKI @ Nov 19th 2008 8:52AM]

One Rick roll too many is what will cause the War of the Worlds.

[DT @ Nov 19th 2008 6:29AM]

Porn in space would be nice. But after a while it's like living in a snow-globe.

[Stiv @ Nov 19th 2008 11:51AM]

So, like, you watch "Family Guy" and stuff. Hey, did you see the one where they threw in some pop-culture references? That was cool!

[Pavelz @ Nov 19th 2008 6:39AM]

Redefining the term Cyberspace

[ShadowMaker @ Nov 19th 2008 6:43AM]

Could someone please send the technicians who managed to do this over to my house, so they can fix my wi-fi?

[niallers @ Nov 19th 2008 7:14AM]

Ahh... i can see the space porn titles now....Debbie does Uranus!

[itg @ Nov 19th 2008 7:43AM]

Now imagine internet on Mars with 30min delay.

[bill cant fart @ Nov 19th 2008 7:48AM]

I looked at this picture and thought "Death Star"

[drwoobie @ Nov 19th 2008 8:46AM]

Nice Snow Crash reference there....

@ DT "snowglobe".......*points finger at screen and cackles*

[Colin Jones @ Nov 19th 2008 8:48AM]

One step closer to downloading porn for the those needy astronauts when out on exploration missions.

[Reader @ Nov 19th 2008 9:14AM]

The secret is the enormous satellite on Earth. Though I'm kind of mad they're using the West Coast, I don't want to look out my window and see that! It'll completely block out the sunset.

[Josh @ Nov 19th 2008 9:28AM]

After the flood of astronauts reliving 5 lost years of porn, are they are going to have to start worrying about viruses infecting the space station?

[l8gravely @ Nov 19th 2008 10:16AM]

Heh, it's just UUCP all over again. Usenet here we come....

[gavinovz @ Nov 19th 2008 10:46AM]

Really cool.

[Xenoterranos @ Nov 19th 2008 10:46AM]

"we can only presume that it was laced with Google ads for Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong."

This made my day so hard it's tomorrow.

[Grey Acumen @ Nov 19th 2008 10:56AM]

this is great! Now we'll be able to stop the alien invasion through remote hacking, instead of having to fly their own spacecraft back up to the mothership and plug in directly with our macintosh powerbook

[michas_pi @ Nov 19th 2008 10:58AM]

BitTorrent.

In space.

With no **AA jurisdiction.




Something tells me the Pirate Bay team should start a fundraiser to move their many servers to the ISS.

[Patriks7 @ Nov 19th 2008 2:08PM]

I'd donate every single cent I have! After all I will be getting stuff for free back, so no need for the money :p

[Mason @ Nov 19th 2008 11:02AM]

"Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong"

Snowcrash reference completely made this entire post.

[richard @ Nov 19th 2008 11:35AM]

looking forward to the first martian 419 scam

[tealfixie @ Nov 19th 2008 11:37AM]

this is bowie to bowie do you hear me out there maan?

[Trent the Uncatchable @ Nov 19th 2008 12:27PM]

This is some great technology. Now all we need are packet radio neural interfaces to really exploit it.

Read the Continuing Time series by Daniel Keyes Moran. He fully described a workable system a number of years ago.

[loocas @ Nov 19th 2008 12:32PM]

Finally I can get in tuch with granny!

[Montusama @ Nov 19th 2008 1:12PM]

great, so when are we getting to another body in our galaxy?

[Starvine @ Nov 19th 2008 1:16PM]

Those Geek Squad kids are really gonna start earning their pay.

[make_your_time @ Nov 19th 2008 1:44PM]

Ladies and gentlemen we have skynet

[Nuwan perera @ Nov 19th 2008 1:54PM]

I'm searching an alien to chat lol..

[Kali4 @ Nov 19th 2008 1:56PM]

I don't know how they can claim success. There's not even any evidence of tubes anywhere in the picture.

[Phour ZwanZig @ Nov 19th 2008 2:05PM]

So will the New Rovers have UPnP..?