(LtoR): Parna Niksirat (SFU), Dr Stephen Braham (Chief Field Engineer and Associate Director, HMP / SFU), Isaiah Mandryk (UBC), Vik Kumar (SFU) Copyright 2010 Mars Institute

We have had a very successful field season this year! Our work has concentrated on furthering advanced Information and Computing Technologies (ICT) for next-generation spaceflight while supporting activities at HMP 2010.
The NASA K-10, Landing Site Survey (LSS), and Opportunistic Science activities have utilized SFU’s next-generation PlanetNet suite of technologies and architectures for their core communications support. In particular, data communications solutions in the field have reached the point where multiple 3D and HD video streams can be communicated across regional distances in future activities.
SFU has been working on a new project, called the GIGASOC, in which new technologies will be developed and supported to allow for the use of Gigabit per second (Gbps) trans-solar system communication technologies, for maximum exploration effect. This is a new game changing capability and requirement for future advanced human and robotic missions. There are several components to this work, some of which have taken place at HMP this season, other planned for future seasons, and other planned for other projects and locations.

Collaborating with CRC, CSA, and Telesat, high-speed satellite communications have been provided and tested. These technologies are critical for finding a future way to use HMP for next-generation analog mission and field technology R&D work, in which high speed communications and computing will be central and required.

Dr Stephen Braham (Chief Field Engineer and Associate Director, HMP / SFU) Copyright 2010 Mars Institute

Next-generation wireless data and voice communication technologies have been examined that support the exploration of surfaces at future destinations in the solar system. New levels of coverage, given data rate, have been achieved, and advanced network architectures probed for issues and capabilities. End to end (analog to mission control centers down South) technologies have been deployed for support, and further investigated and verified. These prove for state of the art communication telepresence at HMP, from anywhere on Earth.
A very exciting development has been the initiation of the Remote Advanced Destination Systems Operations Centre (RADSOC) at HMPRS. This is an SFU-managed and designed Mars Institute facility at HMPRS designed for support of game changing ICT technologies. It will support local mission operation appropriate to Gigabit spaceflight, moving analog mission operations into the 21st Century, including the development of new Cloud-based computing and communication approaches. This year, the core RADSOC 10 Gbps optical network has been established and core architecture elements deployed and tested, expanding on the existing HMPRS 1 Gbps optical core network. This is a unique capability in Arctic exploration and in analog facilities. This new facility will define future analogs in other locations in the US and elsewhere, preparing mankind for the application of game changing, high-risk, bleeding-edge commercially, privately, and academically developed technologies to 21st space exploration.
This is just the start. Keep tuned in future years for our next steps!
[Dr Steve Braham is the Director of the PolyLAB for Advanced Collaborative Networking, a unit of the Telematics Research Laboratory, Simon Fraser University and Chief Field Engineer and Associate Director of HMP]