Commercial and Internet trends and the NASA spaceflight ground network

NASA is a critical information source in this Age of Information. With the advent and maturity of the Internet, the demand for NASA information has grown beyond science data archives to near real time and even real time data, particularly on the Earth and near Earth ecosystems. NASA also has prospered a policy of sharing mission responsibility with non-NASA entities, which still require tracking support from the NASA network. This paper discusses the issues in conflict when trying to solve the paradox of securing a critical national resource and participating as a good citizen of the Information Age. By illustrating several ground network architecture examples, these issues are highlighted. Recommendations for using the NASA tracking networks are given.