The effect of DTN custody transfer in deep-space communications

Delay/disruption tolerant networking (DTN) is considered a suitable technology for challenging communications in the space flight operations environment. A key element of the DTN architecture is the ¿custody transfer¿ option. In this article, we present an experimental investigation of the custody transfer on communications characterized by the very long signal propagation delay, lengthy link disruptions and high data-loss rates that are typical of deepspace links. The intent is to determine whether or not the custody transfer is helpful for data transmission in challenging deep-space communications when running Bundle Protocol (BP) with Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP). We conclude that DTN custody transfer degrades the performance of BP/LTP in deep-space communications scenarios.