Hybrid DTN QoS Control System

NASA STTR Phase 1 Solicitation Topic T5.07 Communications Quality of Service (QoS) Optimization Through Network Autonomy specifies “Quality of Service Policy Management” as scope, and network service management as “key technology focused on enabling the future interplanetary internet” to “enable increase science data return, providing high-quality multimedia capabilities essential for human space exploration, and serve as trunk lines connecting Earth to the Moon”. It establishes that “NASA Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) program is focused on infusing DTN into space networks and science missions”. To accomplish this, “network management capabilities are required to administer and configure DTN nodes and must operate within and complement existing spacecraft scheduling and management systems.” Our innovation, the SPATIAM Hybrid DTN QoS Control System, is focused on addressing a significant gap in the state of the art, the operationalization of application of quality of service on DTN networks, supporting missions to the Moon, and beyond. The system delivers a standards-based QoS architecture targeting interplanetary networking, inclusive of Lunar and Martian missions, with Hybrid Delay Tolerant QoS management algorithms leveraging autonomy. This system constitutes a complete operational system, ready for deployment and use in upcoming missions, meeting a key objective of the STTR solicitation, the delivery and enforcement of network policy management for QoS, including applications for automated configuration management, monitoring and analyzing network performance. The main objective of this STTR Phase 1 is to progress the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the SPATIAM Hybrid QoS Control System, from TRL 2 to TRL 3 through the delivery of a System Requirements specification, the design and results analysis of the Hybrid DTN QoS Control System algorithms and methods, a System Architecture and Design specification, and a Phase 2 prototype development plan.

The SPATIAM Hybrid DTN QoS Control System supports NASA lunar exploration initiatives. The system can benefit NASA by creating an operational, standard management of quality of service across its lunar and interplanetary DTN networks. As the system aims for operational readiness, this system can be incorporated into NASA Bundle Protocol stack implementations, inclusive of NASA/JPL ION, NASA HDTN, NASA BP library for cFS, and DTNME, and NASA NSN and DSN network operations systems, which are planned to support NASA DTN networks for Lunar, Mars, other deep space missions, and even LEO. This will help achieving NASA’s solicitation objective to “enable increase science data return, providing high-quality multimedia capabilities essential for human space exploration, and serve as trunk lines connecting Earth to the Moon”. The SPATIAM Hybrid DTN QoS Control System is poised to play a pivotal role in the emerging lunar economy. As private space companies venture into lunar resource extraction, tourism, and infrastructure development, access to reliable, high-speed communication networks will be vital. The system provides the essential capability of delivering quality of service to management and user data flows of a commercial LunaNet, addressing the growing demand for high-bandwidth data transmission required for real-time imaging, operations, and scientific experiments. Commercial Lunar Operators and other space agencies need an operational system that optimizes the reliable delivery of data according to the data latency, and reliability requirements. The SPATIAM Hybrid DTN QoS Control System addresses the challenges associated with interoperability, deployment, and market adoption and competitiveness, ensuring a seamless transition from development to operational deployment. Customers can use the system as part of the SPATIAM DTN Platform core functionality or/and licensed for integration into their DTN network technologies.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.