INSPIRE - A Connectivity Network for the Solar System

One of Chascii's specific goals is to provide ubiquitous superfast, low-latency connectivity along the solar system through the deployment of its INterplanetary SPace InteRnEt (INSPIRE) network. INSPIRE seeks to deploy a large number of small spacecraft (smallsats), arranged as autonomous swarms, to create optically interconnected network nodes around planetary bodies and their Lagrange points. It is envisioned that future scientific and commercial space missions along the solar system can use INSPIRE as their low-latency fast-data-rate connectivity provider. Each INSPIRE spacecraft is furnished with a set of fast communications systems. High-speed intra-swarm communications is achieved via omnidirectional optical links. The swarms act as autonomous network nodes that can form large synthetic optical apertures that enable high data rate communications among INSPIRE nodes. We see INSPIRE as the basis for the space internet and we plan to systematically implement this network to provide commercial and reliable connectivity to space users. In this paper we will present the architecture under development for implementing the cislunar INSPIRE. Chascii plans to deploy INSPIRE nodes along low-Earth-orbit and GEO as well as along Earth-Moon Lagrange points 1 and 2 to provide gigabit connectivity to future scientific, military, and commercial missions around the moon.