Yosuke Kaneko currently serves as the First Secretary and Space Attaché at the Embassy of Japan in the United States. In addition, he is the President of the Interplanetary Networking Special Interest Group (IPNSIG) of the Internet Society (ISOC), an international non-profit organization that envisions expanding networking to interplanetary space. Under his dedication and along with the entire membership, in June 2022, the IPNSIG successfully became a standing chapter of ISOC, known as the Interplanetary Chapter to promote its vision and to enhance the goals of the Internet Society. Since he assumed the role of President in September 2020, he is leading efforts toward creating a common vision shaping the future of the interplanetary network and promoting activities including the establishment of six working groups and the publication of the “Strategy Toward a Solar System Internet for Humanity.” With his engineering background in avionics and communications, he has about 20 years of experience in the space field.  At the national space agency in Japan, JAXA, he has contributed to the development and operations of the International Space Station (ISS), including establishing a bi-directional communication link using Internet Protocol between the ISS and the Japanese ground system. He also led the Japanese flight control team as Flight Director between 2009 – 2010. He had served at the Strategic Planning and Management Department of JAXA, where he had led the overall coordination of JAXA’s human spaceflight, space science and exploration programs. Today, he serves at the Space Exploration Innovation Hub Center to promote research and development of innovative technology with non-space private sectors to enable future space explorations.

Join Vint Cerf and Yosuke Kaneko as they discuss the current challenges of space technology and governance in this keynote presentation.  Vint Cerf, Adrian Hooke and others at the Jet Propulsion and elsewhere tackled the problem of how to successfully cope with the delay, disruption, and other networking constraints created by the great distances and the very environment of space. The result was a series of experimental protocols– what became known as Delay & Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN), including the Bundle Protocol. Yosuke Kaneko currently serves as the First Secretary and Space Attaché at the Embassy of Japan in the United States. In addition, he is the President of the Interplanetary Networking Special Interest Group (IPNSIG) of the Internet Society (ISOC), an international non-profit organization that envisions expanding networking to interplanetary space. Under his dedication and along with the entire membership, in June 2022, the IPNSIG successfully became a standing chapter of ISOC, known as the Interplanetary Chapter to promote its vision and to enhance the goals of the Internet Society.

Requires 1 Raspberry Pi 5 with keyboard, mouse, monitor, power and WiFi/Internet access - case and heatsink recommended. We will image the Pi and upgrade packages during the lab. We recommend setting aside a microSD card to create a dedicated ION Pi node. We will not be troubleshooting conflicting packages that you may have preloaded on your Pi. No previous Raspberry Pi knowledge required.

Dr. Alberto Montilla (SPATIAM CORPORATION) offers an ideal starting point for anyone interested in space communications. At the start of this presentation, he covers the foundational challenges of space communications (beginning with the impressive accomplishments of Voyager 1). Dr. Montilla lists the communications delays within Earth orbit, the solar system, and interstellar space before offering the calculation on signal loss.  Building on these key concepts, Dr. Montilla explains how celestial mechanics disruptions such as relative rotation and conjunctions affect communications planning and implementation.

Scott Burleigh will present an architectural overview of the SSI (Space-based Internet) concept, focusing on how Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) technologies will serve as its foundation. He will describe a future in which the Internet extends seamlessly into space—connecting spacecraft, lunar bases, and ground systems through an interoperable, resilient, and scalable communication framework. Burleigh will walk through the architectural layers and components that will make up this infrastructure, including the Bundle Protocol, contact planning mechanisms, routing strategies, and the use of standardized interfaces for cross-agency and cross-mission communication. He will illustrate how the architecture is designed to accommodate disruptions, long delays, and intermittent links, which are characteristic of space environments. The presentation will also highlight how the SSI architecture will be modular and evolvable, capable of supporting a wide variety of mission profiles—from low Earth orbit constellations to deep space exploration. Burleigh will emphasize the importance of standardization, simulation, and ground-based emulation tools in validating this vision.

Scott Burleigh will reflect on 27 years of progress in Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN), offering insights into its development, deployment, and future potential. He will trace the origins of DTN from early research efforts aimed at enabling communication in challenged environments—particularly deep space—to its broader applications across terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. Burleigh will describe the motivations that drove the initial DTN architecture, including the need to handle long delays, intermittent connectivity, and resource constraints. He will explain how the Bundle Protocol emerged as a core component of the DTN framework and how its evolution has been shaped by real-world mission demands and international collaboration. The presentation will cover key milestones in DTN adoption, including field demonstrations, spacecraft integrations, and standardization under CCSDS and the IETF. Burleigh will discuss ongoing technical challenges, such as routing in highly dynamic topologies and ensuring security in disrupted environments.

In this presentation, Keith Scott will introduce opennetem, a tool designed to emulate the challenging conditions of space communications in a controlled, testable environment. He will explain how opennetem builds on the capabilities of the Linux NetEm kernel module by adding enhancements that make it better suited for emulating the long delays, high error rates, and intermittent connectivity commonly encountered in space-based networks. Scott will walk through the architecture of opennetem, detailing how users will be able to define precise network behaviors—such as variable latency, jitter, packet loss, and data corruption—to accurately reflect real-world mission scenarios. He will show how this tool will be essential for validating protocols like the Bundle Protocol used in Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) and for testing mission-critical software in conditions that approximate those of lunar, Martian, or deep space environments. The presentation will also cover use cases, such as pre-flight validation, interop testing, and standards development support, and will encourage adoption among developers, mission planners, and researchers. Scott will conclude by emphasizing that opennetem will play a key role in advancing space communications by enabling repeatable, low-cost testing of complex network behaviors before deployment in costly and remote mission settings.

In this presentation, Juan Fraire and Tobias Nöthlich discuss the parallels and interconnections between space networks and underwater communication systems. Fraire outlines the unique challenges faced by these two distinct yet similarly constrained environments, emphasizing issues such as significant delays, intermittent connectivity, and the need for autonomous and robust network solutions. He highlights emerging technologies and methodologies that can be leveraged across both domains to enhance data transmission reliability and efficiency. The presentation also explores real-world applications and case studies, illustrating how innovations developed for deep-space exploration can effectively address communication limitations in underwater networks. Fraire underscores the potential for cross-disciplinary collaboration, inviting researchers and industry experts from both fields to share insights and foster technological advancements that benefit a variety of critical missions and operations.

In this presentation, Fangzheng Liu from the MIT Media Lab’s Responsive Environments group shares groundbreaking work on miniature robotics and wireless sensor networks for future lunar exploration. Drawing on his experience at CERN and the ISS-based AMS-02 project, Liu introduces “AstroAnt”—a modular, magnetic-wheeled robot capable of performing autonomous inspection and sensing tasks on spacecraft and lunar surfaces. The presentation chronicles AstroAnt’s development, from parabolic flight testing to its recent deployment to the Moon’s south pole in 2025, demonstrating its capabilities in real-time video streaming, thermal mapping, and environmental monitoring. The talk then transitions into Liu’s research on expanding planetary exploration through distributed, ballistically deployed sensor systems. His LunarWSN and HexSense projects offer low-cost, self-orienting nodes capable of in-situ measurements such as temperature, humidity, seismic activity, and water detection in hard-to-reach lunar environments. Field expeditions in Earth analog sites like the Canary Islands and parabolic flights simulate and validate these technologies for real missions. Liu also previews future concepts such as a "Lunar stethoscope" to acoustically monitor rover health, highlighting the innovative intersection of robotics, sensing, and AI for the next generation of space science.

Vint Cerf, founder or the IPNSIG, begins with the 'unique' solutions offered by engineering teams and the need for the Solar System Internet (beginning with a terrestrial testing network). Multiple agency cooperation is required to create and test the protocols used for space communications. Vint introduces the needs that spurred involvement by JAXA, ESA, JPL, and other agencies in the development process.  Standards and interoperability, collaboration between government agencies and private organizations - an ecosystem is needed to enable standards-based interconnectivity of "internets" into a solar system Internet. Are we really just on chapter two?

Keith Scott will provide an overview of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) and its role in developing international standards for space communications and data systems.  Scott will outline the structure of CCSDS, describing its various working groups and the technical areas they will support, such as space link protocols, mission operations, data archiving, and cross-support services. He will emphasize the importance of interoperability, particularly for missions that involve international cooperation, and will illustrate how CCSDS standards will enable seamless data exchange and mission coordination. The presentation will also cover the standardization process, from experimental documents to fully recommended standards, and will highlight the thorough technical and agency-level reviews each standard will undergo. Scott will underscore the practical and operational focus of CCSDS efforts, ensuring that the standards will meet the real-world needs of future missions.

Dr. Laura DeNardis (Georgetown University) will examine the critical intersection between technical standards, global governance, and the evolving space-based infrastructure of the Internet. She will argue that standards are not merely technical choices but are deeply embedded in geopolitical power, control, and access—especially as humanity expands its reliance on satellite communications and space-based services. DeNardis will outline how the Internet’s functionality depends on protocols and standards developed by multistakeholder organizations and how this model is being tested by new developments in space-based networking, including low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. She will explore how the deployment of commercial and national satellite systems will impact the future of Internet governance, sovereignty, and global connectivity.

Dr. Scott Pace will address the legal and policy foundations of space governance, highlighting the growing need for structured international frameworks as space activity becomes more congested, contested, and commercialized. He will explain how existing treaties, such as the Outer Space Treaty, have provided a durable foundation, but will argue that these must evolve to meet emerging challenges posed by new actors, technologies, and mission profiles. Pace will outline the roles of national governments, international organizations, and commercial stakeholders in shaping space norms and ensuring responsible behavior. He will explore how domestic space policies must align with broader diplomatic and security goals, particularly as countries pursue dual-use technologies and compete for leadership in strategic orbits and services.

In this session, James Schier, Mars and Deep Space Strategist for NASA, presents key developments and technical considerations in the CPNT initiative, focusing on coordination, precision networking, and interoperability for advanced space-based communications. The talk outlines system-level challenges and strategic directions for collaborative mission success.

In this session, Scott Johnson, Spacely Packets, LLC, provides an anlysis of the bmail SMTP solution's technical components and governance implications.  Scott will begin with a definition of an Application Layer Gateway (ALG) and one is used to extend existing IP-based applications to Bundle-based networks. Using a space infrastructure diagram, Scott differentiates the uses of provider relays, ground stations, and waypoints. Scott lists issues related to governance and resources that must be managed, as well.  We all need email - even in space! Scott Johnson has been involved in ISOC related activities, including ISTF, and being the recipient of an ISOC grant to deploy "digital divide bridging" networks to developing nations, dating back to last century. He has been an active participant in IPNSIG for approximately 3 years, where his efforts have led to allocation and adoption of public BP network naming resources, wider awareness of Interplanetary networking among the ISP community, as well as direct contribution of code and other technical advances to the development of a Solar System Internet.