Editing Interplanetary Internet (section)

{{Short description|Model of Internet between planets}}

{{Use American English|date = April 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = April 2019}}

[[File:Earth and Moon speed of light by James O'Donoghue.gif|thumb|right|320px|The speed of light, illustrated here by a beam of light traveling from [[Earth]] to the [[Moon]], would limit the speed at which messages would be able to travel in the interplanetary Internet. In this example, it takes light 1.26 seconds to travel from the Earth to the Moon. Due to the vast distances involved, much longer delays may be incurred than in the Earth-bound Internet.]]

{{Area networks}}
{{Internet}}
[[File:Mars-to-Earth direct communication.png|alt=Mars to Earth communication is a simple example of Interplanetary Internet|thumb|Simplified Interplanetary Internet overview, Mars to Earth communication]]

The '''interplanetary Internet'''<!--references follow capitalized "Internet" convention for interplanetary extension--> is a conceived [[computer network]] in space, consisting of a set of [[node (networking)|network nodes]] that can communicate with each other.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-interplanetary-internet|title=The Interplanetary Internet|first=Joab|last=Jackson|journal=IEEE Spectrum|date=August 2005|doi=10.1109/MSPEC.2005.1491224|s2cid=45962718|access-date=February 2, 2020|archive-date=January 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117220303/https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-interplanetary-internet|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="spaceref">{{cite web |last=Boucher |first=Marc |date=February 28, 2000 |title=Generation InterPlanetary Internet |url=https://spaceref.com/uncategorized/generation-interplanetary-internet/ |access-date=December 2, 2024 |website=SpaceRef}}</ref> These nodes are the planet's orbiters and landers, and the Earth ground stations. For example, the orbiters collect the scientific data from the ''[[Curiosity (rover)|Curiosity]]'' rover on Mars through near-Mars communication links, transmit the data to Earth through direct links from the [[List of Mars orbiters|Mars orbiters]] to the Earth ground stations via the [[NASA Deep Space Network]], and finally the data routed through Earth's internal [[internet]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Krupiarz|first1=C.|last2=Birrane|first2=Edward J.|last3=Ballard|first3=Benjamin W.|last4=Benmohamed|first4=L.|last5=Mick|first5=A.|last6=Stambaugh|first6=Katherine A.|last7=Tunstel|first7=E.|date=2011|title=Enabling the Interplanetary Internet|url=https://www.jhuapl.edu/Content/techdigest/pdf/V30-N02/30-02-Krupiarz.pdf|s2cid=46026742|journal=Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest|volume=30|issue=2|pages=122–134|access-date=October 23, 2021|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818184848/https://www.jhuapl.edu/Content/techdigest/pdf/V30-N02/30-02-Krupiarz.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Interplanetary communication is greatly delayed by interplanetary distances, so a new set of [[Communications protocol|protocols]] and technologies that are tolerant to large delays and errors are required.<ref name="spaceref" /> The interplanetary Internet is a [[store and forward]] ''network of internets'' that is often disconnected, has a wireless backbone fraught with error-prone links and delays ranging from tens of minutes to even hours, even when there is a connection.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.ipnsig.org/reports/IAF-Oct-2002.pdf|title=The Interplanetary Internet: A Communications Infrastructure for Mars Exploration|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724054139/http://www.ipnsig.org/reports/IAF-Oct-2002.pdf|archive-date=2011-07-24|journal=53rd International Astronautical Congress.|publisher=The World Space Congress|date=19 Oct 2002|location=Houston, Texas}}</ref>

As of 2024 agencies and companies working towards bringing the network to fruition include [[NASA]], [[European Space Agency|ESA]], [[SpaceX]] and [[Blue Origin]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Platt |first=Kevin Holden |title=SpaceX, Blue Origin Vie To Expand Mars-Earth Interplanetary Internet |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinholdenplatt/2024/05/14/spacex-blue-origin-vie-to-expand-mars-earth-interplanetary-internet/ |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mars Relay Network: Interplanetary Internet - NASA Science |url=https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter/mars-relay-network-interplanetary-internet/ |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=science.nasa.gov |language=en-US}}</ref>