SIMULATION OF DEEP SPACE NETWORK TRAFFIC UNDER VARIOUS LOADING CONDITIONS

This is a follow-up report on the end-to-end data link performance of the NASA deep space network. The focus of this report is the effect of traffic loading on data delivery. Architecture of the existing networ k is modeled via COMNET. The contribution of the data latency to the o verall acquisition time is simulated as a function of network traffic conditions. The results show steady-state latencies in the range of te nths of milli-seconds under a mild loading condition. During heavy tra ffic, a delay rate of over a hundred seconds of increased delay per ho ur of network operation time is observed. This is primarily due to the queueing delays associated with large volume of data stored in the bu ffers throughout the link.