Building the Interplanetary Internet: Delay-Tolerant Networking Architectures for Resilient Communication Across Earth, Moon, and Mars Stabilization
Murali Krishna Pasupuleti · International Journal of Academic and Industrial Research Innovations(IJAIRI) · 2025
Abstract: As space missions extend beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and deeper regions of the solar system, the limitations of conventional networking protocols—particularly TCP/IP—become increasingly apparent. These protocols assume persistent connectivity and low latency, conditions that do not exist in interplanetary communication environments characterized by long delays, intermittent links, and high error rates. This study investigates the design and performance of Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) architectures to enable resilient, scalable, and efficient communication across planetary distances. A comparative analysis was conducted among TCP/IP, baseline DTN, and a proposed Predictive DTN model using performance metrics such as average latency, delivery ratio, and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The Predictive DTN significantly outperformed other models, reducing latency by 66% and improving delivery ratio to 94%, with a substantial reduction in RMSE. These results underscore the viability of predictive, context-aware routing strategies in overcoming the intrinsic limitations of space-based communication. The findings contribute to the foundational framework for developing the Interplanetary Internet, offering critical insights for future missions involving autonomous systems, scientific data transmission, and space-based infrastructure. This research supports a shift toward intelligent, delay-tolerant communication systems essential for long-duration and deep-space exploration. Keywords Interplanetary Internet, Delay-Tolerant Networking, space communication, predictive DTN, TCP/IP limitations, Earth-Moon-Mars network, deep space networking, latency reduction, resilient communication architecture, autonomous space systems