A Digital Testbed for Autonomous Spacecraft Communication Services

Abstract

NASA is currently implementing a phased transition to commercial-provisioned communication services. NASA’s Space Communication and Navigation program has introduced a vision of interoperable user terminals that can roam between multiple service providers. For several years, NASA has also been exploring the use of automation for user-initiated service requests, which could increase network efficiency and reduce our operational burden. In this work, we present a simulation framework that is being used to research User Initiated Services and automated algorithms for NASA’s future network of networks. Our digital testbed interfaces with AGI’s System Tool Kit (STK), for orbital mechanics and link budget analysis, and adds custom software for satellite data generation, satellite buffers, nondeterministic scheduling requests, data priority handling, service provider cost models, and user scheduling algorithms.