A protocol design for incorporating erasure codes within CCSDS: The case of DTN protocol architecture

Future deep space missions are envisioned to implement the Delay Tolerant Network architecture and to offer very high data rate also towards remote planets to support possible human missions. In this perspective, the need for advanced transmission paradigms and reliability means is needed to ensure the success of such missions. On the one hand, the CCSDS protocol implemented at the application and at the physical layers will play a crucial role for the file transfer services usually supported for image retrieval and the channel coding/modulation schemes implemented. On the other hand the Bundle Protocol offers store/forward capabilities that proved to be powerful to mitigate the effect of long disruption events. An additional element is represented by the use of erasure codes that may represent a further resource to increase the robustness of data communication against frame erasures. Starting from this viewpoint, this paper explores the way erasure codes could be implemented within the CCSDS protocol stack, by proposing suitable extensions to the CCSDS File Delivery Protocol and to the Bundle Protocol.