IPN-V: The Interplanetary Network Visualizer

TL;DR

IPN-V is a novel 3D visualization platform that simulates and assesses interplanetary communication networks, addressing the complexities of space communication such as latency and occlusions, for planning, education, and outreach.

Contribution

It introduces IPN-V, a software tool that integrates realistic interplanetary network visualization with contact planning support using Unity 3D and C#.

Findings

Supports importing/exporting contact plans in standard formats

Provides interactive 3D visualization of dynamic space networks

Effectively models line-of-sight communication constraints

Abstract

The Interplanetary Network (IPN) emerges as the backbone for communication between various spacecraft and satellites orbiting distant celestial bodies. This paper introduces the Interplanetary Network Visualizer (IPN-V), a software platform that integrates interplanetary communications planning support, education, and outreach. IPN-V bridges the gap between the complexities of astrodynamics and network engineering by enabling the generation and assessment of dynamic, realistic network topologies that encapsulate the inherent challenges of space communication, such as time-evolving latencies and planetary occlusions. Leveraging the power of Unity 3D and C#, IPN-V provides a user-friendly 3D interface for the interactive visualization of interplanetary networks, incorporating contact tracing models to represent line-of-sight communication constraints accurately. IPN-V supports importing and exporting contact plans compatible with established space communication standards, including NASA's ION and HDTN formats. This paper delineates the conception, architecture, and operational framework of IPN-V while evaluating its performance metrics.