Space-based local area network

With the phenomenal success and productivity of terrestrial networks, there is interest in using similar technology in space. For instance, there currently are projects aimed at deploying Internet routers in space. In this paper, we discuss the general concept of connecting a cluster of satellites with a local area network. We discuss the advantages and challenges of such a network, as well as possible missions. We also describe a specific implementation that would connect a cluster of geosynchronous satellites with a network based on the IEEE standard 802.16 protocol. We also describe our testbed and the terrestrial experiments that we are performing to validate our approach.