Publications Conference paper · Delay-tolerant networks · 2025

Towards a Unified Routing Framework for the Interplanetary Internet of Things

Juan A. Fraire, Larissa Suzuki, Scott Burleigh, Leigh Torgerson, and Vinton Cerf

International Conference on Space Operations (SpaceOps), 2025

Abstract

The Interplanetary Internet of Things (IIoT) extends traditional networking paradigms to space environments, where extreme latencies, planetary occlusions, and intermittent connectivity challenge conventional routing mechanisms. Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN), notably the Bundle Protocol (BP), has emerged as the leading approach to mitigate these challenges, enabling reliable data delivery across interplanetary networks. This paper revises and extends the state-of-the-art taxonomy of DTN routing protocols for IIoT, classifying them based on contact predictability and occurrence knowledge. We categorize routing strategies into four paradigms: opportunistic (e.g., Spray-and-Wait, RAPID), probabilistic (e.g., PRoPHET, MaxProp, O-CGR), uncertain (e.g., RUCoP), and scheduled (e.g., CGR, SPSN). Each paradigm addresses specific IIoT use cases, from autonomous planetary exploration and nanosatellite constellations to interplanetary backbones and mission-critical data transfers. Finally, we propose an Interregional Routing Fabric that integrates these approaches into a unified framework, leveraging their complementary strengths to enable scalable, robust, and adaptive routing in the Solar System Internet.

Cite

DOI 10.82217/spaceops2025_411

BibTeX

@inproceedings{fraire2025unified,
  author    = {Fraire, Juan A. and Suzuki, Larissa and Burleigh, Scott and Torgerson, Leigh and Cerf, Vinton},
  title     = {Towards a Unified Routing Framework for the Interplanetary Internet of Things},
  booktitle = {International Conference on Space Operations (SpaceOps)},
  year      = {2025},
  doi       = {10.82217/spaceops2025_411}
}

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