RFC 9171 · BPv7 · DTN · NASA SF07

Cloud-Native
Deep-Space Network
Emulator & DTN Node

Hermes-DSN emulates high-latency, intermittent Earth-to-Mars communication channels and implements resilient Delay-Tolerant Networking protocols — purpose-built to address NASA's deep-space data disruption challenges.

Request Access Explore Architecture
3–22 min Light-time delay range
RFC 9171 BPv7 compliant
SF07 NASA shortfall addressed
Capabilities

Built for the Harshest Link Conditions

Every component targets a real failure mode in deep-space communications.

📦

BPv7 Protocol Engine

Asynchronous store-and-forward queue with CBOR serialization, TTL expiration management, and payload fragmentation/reassembly — fully compliant with RFC 9171.

🛰️

Deep-Space Channel Emulator

Real-time simulation of orbital mechanics, planetary rotation blackouts, solar conjunction interference, and bit-error-rate mutations across variable propagation delays.

🔌

Pluggable CLA Adapters

Standardized ZeroMQ, UDP, and gRPC convergence layer interfaces decouple protocol orchestration from the physical transport layer.

📡

SDR & Hardware Ready

Native integration with Software-Defined Radios via SoapySDR and GNU Radio 4, plus FPGA acceleration module interfaces.

🛡️

FEC Reassembly Engine

Lossless packet reassembly with Forward Error Correction for graceful recovery from partial data loss across multi-hop relay paths.

📊

Real-Time Dashboard

WebSocket and gRPC-driven UI displaying end-to-end packet travel times, buffer occupancy, dynamic link states, and reassembly progress.

How It Works

Conceptual Earth-to-Mars Message Flow

A visual walkthrough of Hermes-DSN's delay-tolerant store-and-forward behavior under deep-space latency.

1. Bundle Generated

A bundle is created at Earth and transmitted when a link window is available.

2. Relay Persists Data

The relay stores data durably and forwards it when the next path becomes available.

3. Mars Delivery

Packets continue despite long delays and intermittent connectivity instead of requiring real-time continuity.

Design

Modular, Cloud-Native Architecture

Each service is independently containerized and communicates over well-defined gRPC and ZeroMQ interfaces.

BPv7 Node

RFC 9171 store-and-forward engine with CBOR bundle serialization and TTL management

→
Link Emulator

Orbital delay, blackout scheduling, and bit-error-rate mutation proxy

→
FEC Reassembler

Lossless multi-hop packet reassembly with Forward Error Correction

→
Dashboard

Real-time telemetry UI over WebSockets and gRPC streaming

Docker ZeroMQ gRPC Protocol Buffers CBOR WebSockets SoapySDR GNU Radio 4
Mission Alignment

Addressing NASA Civil Space Shortfall SF07

Hermes-DSN is directly engineered to mitigate the data disruption risks identified in NASA Need 7.01.

The Problem

  • Multi-minute light-time propagation delays (3–22 min Earth-to-Mars)
  • Intermittent link availability due to planetary geometry
  • Packet loss from solar interference and deep-space noise
  • No real-time feedback loop for mission-critical telemetry

How Hermes-DSN Responds

  • Store-and-forward DTN bundles survive link outages deterministically
  • Configurable propagation delay faithfully reproduces orbital scenarios
  • FEC and BER mutation engine validates resilience under realistic noise
  • Hardware-in-the-loop readiness for SDR ground station validation
Collaboration

Research Partners

Hermes-DSN is developed in collaboration with leading academic institutions advancing space communications research.

Universidad de los Llanos

Villavicencio, Colombia

Interested in Hermes-DSN?

Built by Enciso Systems for next-generation deep-space mission infrastructure.

Request Access Contact Enciso Systems