Space Internet Autonomous Routing Protocol CosmicRoute Approved by CCSDS: Automated Data Transmission Routing Between Earth and Moon Achieved for the First Time

Space Internet Autonomous Routing Protocol CosmicRoute Approved by CCSDS: Automated Data Transmission Routing Between Earth and Moon Achieved for the First Time

The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) officially approved the CosmicRoute space internet autonomous routing protocol on August 26, 2030. The protocol defines automatic routing rules for data packets in cislunar space, supporting multi-hop relay, delay tolerance, and link interruption recovery, extending the internet's end-to-end communication concept to space for the first time.

CosmicRoute uses a "Delay-Tolerant Network" architecture designed for the unique challenges of space communication: large signal propagation delays (approximately 1.3 seconds between Earth and Moon), frequent link interruptions (celestial body occlusion), and asymmetric bandwidth. The protocol incorporates a "store-carry-forward" mechanism — when the link between an intermediate node and the destination node is interrupted, data packets are temporarily stored on relay satellites and forwarded once the link is restored.

NASA's Deep Space Network lead said: "CosmicRoute solves the most critical routing problem for space internet. Previously, Earth-Moon communication required pre-planning every link, and any node failure would cause communication interruption. Now, data packets can automatically find optimal paths."

In testing, CosmicRoute successfully established automatically routed data channels between Earth, lunar orbit relay satellites, and the lunar surface. Even when a single relay node failed, data packets could find alternative paths within 15 seconds. The protocol's approval lays the standards foundation for the lunar internet infrastructure planned for 2031.