SPICE

Space Internetworking Center

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

Internetworked Systems (InterSys) Laboratory of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Democritus University of Thrace, Greece, has made significant contributions to the architectural requirements, objectives standardization and prototyping of future Space Internetworking strategy. Its expertise is recognized by international organizations (ESA, NASA), international standardization bodies (CCSDS, IETF) and is reflected on the high number of citations to its work. However, the existing facilities fall far behind the collaborating Laboratories mainly due to limited financial support and resources, which raise barriers in the development of the group's potential, especially in the directions of mobility of researchers and dissemination of knowledge.

Scope of SPICE project is the incorporation of relevant scientific activities of two more laboratories, 6 faculty members and 13 research engineers, under a state-of-the-art European Center for Space Internetworking. SPICE relies on three major objectives: to broaden the group’s accomplished research innovation and engineering capacity both by mobilizing our resources to visit first-class cooperating European institutions and hiring top class researchers from abroad; to support a revolutionary scientific agenda, as far as Delay Tolerant Networking is concerned, that boosts European competitiveness and supports a wide spectrum of applications; and to institutionalize and establish a permanent quality framework for innovative research activities in the convergence region of Thrace. Apart from the required infrastructure update, SPICE aims at promoting research through the publication of special issues in high-quality journals, the organisation of regular lectures and presentations from distinguished scientists, as well as the hosting of a panel session and two workshops on promising networking technologies, like 4G communications.

Introduzione (Teaser)

Scientists and entrepreneurs around the world are focused on a global communications system that would be larger than anything else created to date. The newly founded Space Internetworking Center (SPICE) in Greece will play a key role in the development of the space Internet.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Established more than 40 years ago, the Democritus University of Thrace in Xanthi, Greece is considered one of the country's leading academic institutions. Urged by the need to enhance academic excellence in line with research priorities, the University solicited EU support to strengthen the research potential of its laboratory of Internet worked systems.

This was the mission of the EU-funded project titled 'Space Internetworking Center' (http://www.spice-center.org/(SPICE)). The project scope covered different aspects of the unification of outer space and Earth communications, attracting worldwide interest in research carried out at the first European Centre of Excellence in space Internetworking.

Highly successful protocols of today's Internet operate poorly in challenging environments, characterised by frequent network partitions. Not surprisingly, space communications require scheduling contacts in advance. Through project efforts to adapt the Internet for space, the suite of protocols that make up the Disruption Tolerant Network (DTN) has been expanded.

SPICE's infrastructure was upgraded with acquisition of new hardware components for the existing prototype DTN testbed, able to simulate satellite and deep-space communications. In addition, a portable satellite simulator and other high-tech equipment were employed to calculate the exact satellite trajectories, as well as detailed characteristics of established communication links.

The new equipment helped establish a cutting-edge laboratory allowing the recruited highly qualified researchers to reach the project's goals. Several protocols were developed using the upgraded DTN testbed. The Delay Tolerant Payload Conditioning (DTPC) protocol extends the DTN architecture in order to provide services similar to those offered by the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).

Visiting researchers and partnerships with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and other organisations have linked space Internetworking with hot topics such as energy-efficient networking and green Internet. The numerous project findings have been published in scientific journals and presented at international conferences.

Participation of the SPICE project team in standardisation bodies that define space communication protocols has also highlighted the Center's pivotal role in space research. SPICE will be a definite key player in the field, promoting scientific research and innovation not only in northern Greece but also throughout the European Research Area (ERA).