Packet switching for mobile earth stations via low-orbit satellite network

A potentially valuable implementation of a satellite computer communication packet switched network is one which is survivable and distributed. That is, a system which dynamically adapts to changing network element connectivities, changing interconnections of users, and is not dependent on any central unit for its own internal command and control. A laboratory prototype of such a system has been constructed of a group of computers which when given communication circuits between them will, acting autonomously, create a computer communication packet switching network and which will continually adapt to changes in connectivity. In this paper, an adaptive computer communication routing algorithm is described, its application in space including a space segment design is presented, its actual implementation in real physical hardware is discussed, and system performance results as parameters are varied are presented.