Space networking interacting in space communication networks

Space missions always required reliable transfer of data between space and ground. We address the issue of enabling computational technologies addressing both the requirements of communicating at a higher level of abstraction between heterogeneous ground and on-board systems and the requirements of space communication protocol standards. Higher level protocol layers are presented in the context of a distributed interactive multi-agent architecture simulating flight and ground software systems controlling and transmitting information in a space telecommunication network. The resulting agent protocol include higher level protocols for inter-agent communication at the knowledge or application level used to negotiate goals, as well as lower end protocols for space mission data transmissions. The asynchronous behaviors present in network management mean that complex interactions can occur. Multi-layered control architectures based on interacting agents seem appropriate, allowing for logical decomposition of the decision-making processes, reflecting the inherent distributed nature of this type of systems and support the need for intelligent control and robustness. This paper: presents the use of a multi-agent system, emphasizing the interaction aspects of computational components and allowing for sharing higher-level information structures between components. This architectural approach allows for encapsulation of the main mission software functions and transparently ensures their interoperability.