Trends in mobile satellite technology

Demand for sophisticated personal communication services has changed communications satellite design. Satellites have moved closer to the Earth to improve communication speed and enable personal communication services. However, in so doing, they require more computing resources and more sophisticated protocols to handle intersatellite communications. This article examines the trends in communications satellite deployment and the resulting requirements for network protocols that are intended to support space communications. It reports the findings of a joint DoD/NASA effort to identify what parts of the seven-layer OSI protocol model can be adapted to support more sophisticated space applications.