Routing In Deep-Space Satellite Networks With Lossy Links

Abstract

This paper proposes routing schemes to forward packets in deep space networks with lossy links. The proposed schemes build on the framework proposed by Clare et. al and are sensitive to the energy consumed and link error rates along a satellite link. In the presence of lossy links, it is a common practice in terrestrial networks to retransmit packets lost due to errors. However, it is not clear if such a strategy will be suitable for deep-space networks, since the long propagation delays associated with the satellite links could hinder the data transfer rate. Further, packet re-transmissions also increase the energy load on a satellite, thereby straining their limited energy reserves. This leads to the following question: "Is it worthy to retransmit packets lost due to errors in deep space networks to ensure 100% data reliability or is it sufficient to forward the packets along the path with maximum reliability without any re-transmissions?" In an attempt to answer the above question, we propose two routing schemes and compare their performance through simulations against a vanilla routing scheme in terms of energy consumption, reliability, and throughput.