NASA tests "deep space Internet"

[inanna]

Source: AFP via Yahoo

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US space agency NASA said it successfuly conducted a first test of a deep space communications network modeled on the Internet.

"This is the first step in creating a totally new space communications capability, an interplanetary Internet," Adrian Hooke, NASA's manager of space-networking architecture, technology and standards, said in a statement.

The US space agency said Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineers used software called Disruption-Tolerant Networking, or DTN, to transmit dozens of space images to and from a NASA spacecraft some 20 million miles (32.4 million kilometers) from Earth.

NASA said the software protocol, which must be able to withstand delays, disruptions and disconnections in space, was designed in partnership with Vint Cerf, a vice president at Internet search giant Google.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081119/sc_afp/usspaceinte...

[shadowknows69]

1. Is the a Galaxy wide Facebook I can join?

[Canuckistanian]

2. How does a spacecraft complain to their ISP?

The service calls alone must be a bitch...

[eggplant]

3. It's about time.

The long distance rates for dial-up were horrendous.

[alittlelark]

4. 'Enders Game' comes to mind.

Sci-Fi writes the future.

[Norrin Radd]

8. And, "A Fire Upon the Deep"

[Fumesucker]

11. AFUtD leapt immediately to mind...

Great book.. Pham Nuwen was a great character, up there with Lazarus Long, IMO.

On edit: Not to mention Varley's "Ophiuchi Hotline".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ophiuchi_Hotline

[Norrin Radd]

16. Thanks for the tip. Haven't read that one.

[MessiahRp]

5. Doesn't this sort of make it the Outernet?

Rp

[eppur_se_muova]

28. *snicker* Good one. nt

[Frisbee]

6. ET e-mail home.

[uncle ray]

7. must be some loooong tubes.

[superconnected]

9. I guess now I know what taking quaeludes would have felt like.

All I have to do is read that article.

[Indenturedebtor]

10. I can haz alien pr0n?

[Confusious]

12. They need to get us off this planet first

Away from the crazies.

[MilesColtrane]

13. Just great....LOLCats with tentacles.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. NASA to universe: All your base are belong to us.

[Fovea]

30. Damn!

you beat me to it!

Brilliant!

[Kip Humphrey]

15. Would that be the InterPlaNet?

[HopeHoops]

17. So far, 20% of traffic is SPAM from Mars and 70% is porn from Venus.

The other 10% mostly consists of bean dip recipes and blog posts from abandoned communications satellites.

[rug]

18. Space porn!

[HopeHoops]

19. FSM and his Noodly Appendage - starring in Deep Space

[Joe Bacon]

20. "Subspace frequencies open, Captain"??????

interesting!

[guitar man]

21. Hooray!!

"According to this email I just got, I can have a bigger penis in just 7 days!!"

[HopeHoops]

25. Wouldn't you need to determine which noodly appendage it is?

[Uncle Joe]

22. Excellent, this is cool.

Thanks for the thread, inanna.

[Javaman]

23. oh goodie. space spam. nt

[Ian David]

24. That's kind of the same idea that I've had for a while.

I envisioned a constelation of "internet routers" floating at various Lagrange points around the solar system, relaying communications between Earth and various space probes.

[indio55555]

26. Deep space communication when

we can't get past the moon yet. Why?

[w4rma]

27. Easier and standardized communication with deep space probes. (nt)

[eppur_se_muova]

29. Vint Cerf ... who invented the first Internet?

and where does Al Gore fit into all this?

[LeftyMom]

31. So the first contact with extraterrestrial life will be an offer to enlarge their penises?

This should go well.