Bill Watson, NASA HQ

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June 23, 2006
Concept for Space Communications Integrated Near
Earth Network
Bill Watson, NASA HQ Pete Vrotsos, NASA, HQ Phil
Liebrecht, GSFC Madeline Butler, GSFC
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AGENDA Current NASA Networks Motivation for
Change Integrated Near-Earth Network
Vision Evolving to INEN Architecture Summary
3
NASA Near Earth Space Communications and Tracking
History

• Near Earth Networks started in mid 1940s
  (suborbital) mid 1950s (orbital)
• NRL and Langley (NACA)
• Orbital moved to GSFC in 1959
• Suborbital Wallops part of GSFC circa 1986
• Supplemented with DSN, DOD, and Commercial
• Near Earth Networks Customers
• Project Vanguard (Explorer 1)
• Systems tracked Sputnik
• Early reentry vehicles from the WFF
• Supported thousands of space missions since
• Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Shuttle ISS
• Emmy award for Apollo TV coverage
• Robotic missions include
• NASA Science Other U.S. Government
• Commercial International
• Suborbital, LEO, MEO, GEO, HEO, Lunar through
  Libration points
• Todays Near Earth Networks have evolved from
  these experiences
• Todays missions optimize their communications
  support through integrated use of the networks

A half century of space communications
experience, supporting every NASA manned mission
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Spaceflight Communications and Tracking Challenges
Near Earth 91 Current Missions
Deep Space 17 Current Missions
Furthest Planet Pluto Max Distance 7.5 Billion
km
GEO (36,000 km)
Lunar (385,000 km)
Earth/Sun L1 L2 (1,500,000 km)
Mars (55,700,000 km at minimum distance)
Closest Planet Venus (38,200,000 km at minimum
distance)
ITU Frequency Demarcation Between Near Earth and
Deep Space (2,000,000 km)
DISTANCE FROM EARTH (in millions of kilometers)
2
4
6
8
10
20
30
40
50
Near Earth EOS-Aqua
Near Earth (GSFC)
Deep Space (Mars) Rovers (Spirit Opportunity)

• Typically large data volumes and downlink rates
• Human spaceflight requires continuous
  communications

Deep Space (JPL)

• Low signal strength due to great distances
• Typically very small data volumes and downlink
  rates

Average Daily Volume 708 Gbits Downlink Rate
150 Mbps
Downlink Rate 9.48 kbps
Receive Power reduces by the square of distance
Significant distances between near and deep space
require different communications solutions
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Current NASA Space Communications and Tracking
Networks
Space Network (GSFC)
Ground Network (GSFC)
Deep Space Network (JPL)
DESCRIPTION

• Global orbital satellite communications fleet
• Optimized for continuous, high data rate
  communications
• Critical for human spaceflight safety critical
  event coverage

• World-wide network of stations
• Evolved from fully NASA-owned to balanced
  portfolio of owned assets and procured
  commercial services
• Surge capability through partnerships (e.g.,
  NOAA)
• Optimized for cost effective high data rate
  services

• Three station global network of large-scale
  antennas
• RD organization focused on detecting and
  differentiating faint signals from stellar noise
• Optimized for low data rate capture from
  distances orders of magnitude above near earth

KEY CUSTOMERS (EXAMPLES)

• Space Shuttle
• Space Station
• Hubble Space Telescope
• Other Government Agencies

• Earth Observing System
• Space Shuttle
• Lunar Recon. Orbiter
• NOAA

• Mars Rovers
• Cassini
• Voyager
• Deep Impact

NASA operates three distinct networks to meet
broad agency needs
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AGENDA Current NASA Networks Motivation for
Change Integrated Near-Earth Network
Vision Evolving to INEN Architecture Summary
7
Future Mission Requirements
NASAs New Mission Thrusts

• Focused agency-wide Exploration thrust
• Renewed robotic and human lunar missions from
  2008
• Sustained lunar human presence in 2030
• Potential for humans to Mars in 2030
• Requirements for anytime, anywhere access
• Astronaut health safety (beyond Low Earth Orbit
  constraints of last 3 decades)
• Critical event coverage (e.g., EVA, docking,
  in-orbit assembly, re-entry, spacecraft
  maneuvers)
• Science alerts (e.g., Solar storms,
  Helio-Physics)
• Real Time Navigation
• Necessity to support highly-diverse,
  simultaneously operating space assets
• In-space robotic science missions
• Surface robotic exploration missions on the near
  and far-side of the moon
• In-space human operations (e.g., ISS, STS,
  CTS/CEV, Soyuz)
• Surface human operations (e.g., Short/Long
  duration lunar ops)
• Human Robotics Collaboration (e.g., ATV, HTV)
• Launch Vehicles

2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
2035
2040
2045
2050
Science Missions
Human (STS/ISS)
Robotic Human Lunar Exploration
Mars Human Exploration
Crew Exploration Vehicle
L1/L2 Science
New NASA Mission Thrust
Existing Customer Type
The increase in mission needs is driving the need
for new communications capabilities
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Approach to Meet Evolving Mission Requirements
CEV Concept

• Use existing infrastructure where it is
  cost-effective to meet 2008 2020 lunar
  initiatives
• Implement near-term building blocks to meet
  requirements with focus on reuse (e.g., initial
  antennas at White Sands to service 1st RLEP
  mission, LRO)
• Integrate commercial service providers to defer
  capital outlay
• Permit downstream infrastructure decisions to
  allow
• exploration requirements to stabilize within the
  NASA Community (Constellation, RLEP)
• requirements to stabilize with other critical
  govt programs (e.g., EPA Global Earth
  Observation System of Systems (GEOSS))
• potential national and international partnerships
  to evolve
• Integrate proven components to provide
  low-cost/low-risk solutions
• Invest in optical communications technology for
  2018-2030 timeframe

SN and GN support to Shuttle will be available
for Shuttle-derived CEV
NASA will resume the communications and tracking
roles for this generations lunar initiative
A measured approach to meet the near-term needs,
provide a foundation for growth, and allow
natural requirements evolution
Artists Concepts John Frassanito and Associates.
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AGENDA Current NASA Networks Motivation for
Change Integrated Near-Earth Network
Vision Evolving to INEN Architecture Summary
10
Vision for an Integrated Near-Earth Network
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INEN Roadmap
Est. 2020-30
Est. 2008-10
TODAY
Est. 2014-19
DRIVERS

• Human spaceflight in LEO
• High data rate polar missions
• Low latency science missions

• Solar Dynamics Observatory
• Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
• CEV/CLV LEO test flights
• GEOSS
• Increased OGA Support

• Human spaceflight to the moon
• Telemedicine / Telerobotics
• High Definition Video
• Earth Science-like measurements at L1/L2

• Sustained human lunar presence
• Higher-resolution science from L1/L2
• Optical Communications Development

INEN ARCHITECTURE ELEMENTS

• NASA-owned ground stations and commercially
  procured services
• Tracking Data Relay Satellite System
• Fixed launch support assets

• Expanded equatorial network at WSC for Lunar and
  GEO
• Array test bed in place
• Tracking Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) with
  additional SN ground assets
• Re-engineered launch head

• Expanded Equatorial network support to L1/L2
• Deployed lunar relay network (comm. satellites)
• Next Generation Earth Relay
• Integrated (space ground) launch head support

• Expanded GN network
• Laser-communications to moon and L1/L2
• Lunar Relay
• Space-based Range

The INEN can be implemented as requirements evolve
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AGENDA Current NASA Networks Motivation for
Change Integrated Near-Earth Network
Vision Evolving to INEN Architecture Summary
13
INEN will be composed of new and existing
components
Equatorial Ground Network
Polar Ground Network
SERVICE INTEGRATION
INEN
(Mission Planning Compatability Testing Mission
Integration)
Optical Comm. / Tracking
Launch Head
Space Network
Lunar Comm. Navigation System (LCNS)
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Space Communications Architectures
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AGENDA Current NASA Networks Motivation for
Change Integrated Near-Earth Network
Vision Evolving to INEN Architecture Summary
16
Summary

• The Integrated Near Earth Network is a natural
  evolution for the NASAs Space Communications
  Program
• Effort is consistent with Agencys core
  competencies and legacy experience in
  communications and navigation
• INEN architecture evolution path meets evolving
  mission needs while preserving future flexibility
• Defers major investments through a low risk, low
  cost, pay as you go solution
• Leverages integration of potential future
  National, commercial and international partners
• Matures and demonstrates new technologies (i.e.,
  Laser comm.) which will be necessary for future
  Near Earth and Deep Space Exploration
• INEN architecture provides all necessary near
  Earth communications and navigation services
  while allowing for maturation of future
  technologies
• Demonstrates
• Seamless space networking
• lunar optical communications technologies
• Provides operational experience in optical
  communications before initiating a potential
  multi Billion development