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The Interplanetary Internet

Posted by Hemos on from the building-for-the-future dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "This article from SPACE.com about the Interplanetary Internet (IPN) is not science fiction. It is becoming a reality, Rich Gray reports. "The IPN would form a backbone connecting a series of hubs on or around planets, ships, and at other points in space. These hubs would provide high-capacity, high-availability Internet traffic over distances that could stretch up to hundreds of millions of miles." Gray adds that all the planets and satellites in our solar system have already Internet addresses and that NASA is already communicating with its earth-orbiting missions through its internal Deep Space Network. The rest of us will have to wait until at least 2005 when IPN-equipped satellites are launched. Check this column for more details. You also can read a previous Slashdot column on the same subject. "

40 of 270 comments (clear)

  1. think of the gamers man! by pilybaby · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think the lag when playing HL2 with someone on Mars would be too much to take.

    1. Re:think of the gamers man! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually, with the sort of timescales we're talking about here, you'd probably be playing Duke Nukem Forever.

    2. Re:think of the gamers man! by JWhitlock · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, but Duke Nuken Forever will have advanced AI features, that you train by playing the single player game. When you want to play multiplayer, you just upload your trained AI to the opponent's machine, and it runs locally on his computer! 0 ping!

    3. Re:think of the gamers man! by evilviper · · Score: 4, Funny
      Obligatory Futurama Quote:
      That's why scientists increased the speed of light in 2208!
      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
    4. Re:think of the gamers man! by diverman · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well, it will allow for those long-thinking chess players the time they seem to enjoy taking per move. :)

      -Alex

  2. I have to ask... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    all the planets and satellites in our solar system have already Internet addresses

    So, whats the internet address for Uranus? http://ipn.myhomepage.ass ? or, .anus?

  3. Store and forward.. by wfberg · · Score: 4, Funny

    What's with this newfangled internet? Don't they have UUCP?

    --
    SCO employee? Check out the bounty
  4. Hm. by Some+Woman · · Score: 4, Funny

    There's just somethin odd about all other planets already having internet addresses. Is it just one per planet, or does each Martian get its own? I mean, one for an entire planet just doesn't seem fair, now does it?

    --
    My dingo ate your honor student.
  5. GREAT by Evil+Adrian · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's all we need, is some fifteen-year-old DDoS-ing the Hubble.

    --
    evil adrian
  6. Does this mean... by Bvardi · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wben I tell the users in my office that their email vanished "somewhere into outer space" I might actually be telling the truth?

    Seems like both a forward-looking and very practical idea - I personally hope to see manned stations/colonies/etc within various places in the solar system in my lifetime and it might be handy to have the ability to communicate with those places.

    Mind you the scary bit would be tracking down interplanetary spammers! (The nigerian scam could become the martian scam!)

  7. Squatters by Steve1952 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bad news! Most of the planetary sites are occupied by squatters. For example, some snack food company is sitting on mars.com...

    1. Re:Squatters by daeley · · Score: 2, Funny

      On the Red Planet, Mars bars eat you. ;)

      --
      I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
  8. Times and firewalls by gmuslera · · Score: 2, Funny

    Unless something new is discovered, times for anything beyond moon will be high, at least, higher than most would wait. And, well, you know... most firewalls will reject martian packets.

    1. Re:Times and firewalls by Max+von+H. · · Score: 4, Funny

      We don't need no stinkin' firewall. We got the Asteroid Belt, your packets will be lost in the collisions...

      --
      -- It's always darker before it goes pitch black.
  9. Uranus by Max+von+H. · · Score: 1, Funny

    I think the White House's new domain should be uranus.gov as to limit the lag when the cowboys in charge are looking for their heads...

    Cheers,
    max

    --
    -- It's always darker before it goes pitch black.
  10. Nip it in the bud by redtail1 · · Score: 4, Funny
    You also can read a previous Slashdot column on the same subject."

    Well, that's one way to prevent 40 people from submitting "repeat post" comments...

  11. It's not slashdotted. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's just that the latency from here and uranus is about three hours!

  12. I've Said It Before And I'll Say It Again... by PipianJ · · Score: 5, Funny
    [luser@somebox luser]$ ping -c 4 www.pathfinder.mars
    Pinging www.pathfinder.mars [178.223.52.43] with 32 bytes of data:

    Reply from 178.223.52.43: bytes=32 time=2678674ms TTL=53
    Reply from 178.223.52.43: bytes=32 time=2679146ms TTL=53
    Reply from 178.223.52.43: bytes=32 time=2678608ms TTL=53
    Reply from 178.223.52.43: bytes=32 time=2679568ms TTL=53

    Ping statistics for 178.223.52.43:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
    Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 60ms, Maximum = 183ms, Average = 114ms
    That's nearly 44 minutes round trip for light, and that's only to Mars at opposition. Imagine how long it is to Pluto at opposition. What is it that they say? It was 20-30 hours round-trip to contact Pioneer 10?
    1. Re:I've Said It Before And I'll Say It Again... by aaribaud · · Score: 2, Funny

      >Reply from 178.223.52.43: bytes=32 time=2678674ms TTL=53
      >Reply from 178.223.52.43: bytes=32 time=2679146ms TTL=53
      >Reply from 178.223.52.43: bytes=32 time=2678608ms TTL=53
      >Reply from 178.223.52.43: bytes=32 time=2679568ms TTL=53
      >
      >Ping statistics for 178.223.52.43:
      >Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
      >Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
      >Minimum = 60ms, Maximum = 183ms, Average = 114ms

      Time to patch that ping utility of yours. It uses earth-relative time when measuring individual packet routnd-trip, but packet-relative time for the stats line.

      And please make the patch GPL (Got Past Lightspeed).

    2. Re:I've Said It Before And I'll Say It Again... by Alsee · · Score: 2, Funny

      ping pathfinder.probe

      Pinging pathfinder.probe [178.223.52.43] with 32 bytes of data:
      Error: Path not found.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  13. Hack the Planet!! by override11 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hehe, Takes on a whole new meaning now, eh?

    Hrmm, if I ping flood the north pole will I cause global flooding? Hrmm, wonder if I can just chmod the boarders to keep terrorists out.. *grin*

    --
    No I didnt spell check this post...
  14. Interplanetary chat rooms: patience required! by HarveyBirdman · · Score: 5, Funny
    [BigDuud has entered chat room #marssex]

    BigDuud: Anyone here?
    (20 minutes pass)
    BarsoomGirl: Just me it seems.
    (20 minutes pass)
    BigDuud: Wassup! I'm at Tycho City, Moon. Where you at?
    (20 minutes pass)
    BarsoomGirl: Utopia Planita base, Mars.
    (20 minutes pass)
    BigDuud: Cool! Are you nekkid?
    (20 minutes pass)
    BarsoomGirl: Yes, but only under my spacesuit.
    (20 minutes pass)
    BigDuud: Bummer.
    (20 minutes pass)
    BarsoomGirl: Yeah. We had a failure in the Windows2150 installation, and it caused a pressure imbalance that blew out the mail seals. I was in the shower when it happened. I'm all wet and soapy in here.
    (20 minutes pass)
    BigDuud: How long before it's fixed?
    (20 minutes pass)
    BarsoomGirl: Who knows? They admins are downloading the patch from the Redmond Arcology, but it's suposedly 50 billion terabytes for the copyright notice alone.
    (20 minutes pass)
    BigDuud: Bummer.
    (20 minutes pass)
    BarsoomGirl: This suit has a seismic vibrator, though. ;-)
    (20 minutes pass)
    BigDuud: Wicked! So, do you have big barsooms?

    [Connection terminated. Link eclipsed by Phobos.]

    --
    --- Ban humanity.
  15. HUH? by Parsa · · Score: 4, Funny

    These uninhabited planets are getting high speed backbones? I can't get anything more than dial up where I live!

    J

    --
    Abiit, excessit, evasit, erupit.
  16. Re:yeah by Libor+Vanek · · Score: 2, Funny

    Nope - you are completely wrong - it's not about gettin pr0n TO space but FROM space ;-)

  17. Re:GREAT by theflea · · Score: 2, Funny

    However, as deep space hacking targets get farther away, high latency will not provide hackers with immediate gratification. Also, authorities can prosecute the 15-year-old as an adult! (due to 3 year delivery time for his malicious payload)

  18. IP laws? by mattkime · · Score: 2, Funny

    how can other plants get internet if thy don't have IP laws yet?

    --
    Know what I like about atheists? I've yet to meet one that believes God is on their side.
    1. Re:IP laws? by isorox · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hilary Rosens writing them right now...

  19. IP? by jeremiahstanley · · Score: 1, Funny

    Does this mean they make little spacesuits for the carrier pidgeons now?

    --
    Hire me...
  20. IPv4 by prmths · · Score: 2, Funny

    I sure as hell hope they dont plan on using IPv4 ...
    on a side note...
    maybe a zero latency network using the spin of quarks as the bits ;)
    now the hard part -- isolating and seperating matching quarks amd keeping them from phasing out of existance..

    not to mention something to accurately detect the spin

    ok
    maybe i'm full of sh*t .. but wouldnt that be trippy?
    sending data instantaneously regardless of distance...

    who knows.. maybe another hundred years or two and we'll be able to instantaneously be able to phase matter in and out of 'existance' in any position in our 4d space-time at will by tapping into all 11 dimentions...

    --
    p r m t h s
  21. Whole new meaning by Jaguar777 · · Score: 2, Funny

    This brings a whole new meaning to A/S/L

    --
    Maybe you should educate the morons of tomorrow so they'll stop believing the leaders of tomorrow. - Dogbert
  22. Ping timed out... by Lawrence_Bird · · Score: 2, Funny

    Pinging www.yahoo.akadns.net [64.58.76.226] with 32 bytes of data:

    Reply from 64.58.76.226: bytes=32 time=300000ms TTL=245

  23. Great by Dark+Lord+Seth · · Score: 2, Funny

    Like we do not already have a shortage of IP adresses for one planet already. Screw IPv6, we need IPv8 now instead to deal with this! 1,3407807929942597099574024998206e+154 IP adresses ought to be enough for ever space ship, space station and coffee machine in the future! (Don't quote me on that in 20 years, PLEASE!!!)

    --
    Hate me!
  24. you won't play Doom on this network by sstory · · Score: 2, Funny

    The ping time to Venus SUX

  25. Re:Great by prmths · · Score: 2, Funny

    May 5, 2023:

    And here's a quote from 'dark lord seth' from 20 years ago:
    "Like we do not already have a shortage of IP adresses for one planet already. Screw IPv6, we need IPv8 now instead to deal with this! 1,3407807929942597099574024998206e+154 IP adresses ought to be enough for ever space ship, space station and coffee machine in the future!"

    little did he know that by the year 2015, everything manufactured would be made of net-connected nano-machines; each with its own address and automatically replaces itself as it wears out resulting to our unbreakable devices we all know and love today.

    --
    p r m t h s
  26. Forget SETI@home by Mikey-San · · Score: 2, Funny

    The first detection of intelligent extraterrestrial life will be an unpassworded AirPort Base Station called "androme2135".

    --
    Mikey-San
    Karma: +Eleventy billion (mostly affected by watching Celebrity Jeopardy)
  27. From the Jargon File by goodchef · · Score: 3, Funny
    martian n. A packet sent on a TCP/IP network with a source address of the test loopback interface [127.0.0.1]. This means that it will come back labeled with a source address that is clearly not of this earth. "The domain server is getting lots of packets from Mars. Does that gateway have a martian filter?"

    Guess we'll have to change that one once IPN is a reality...

    --

    "Inflammable means flammable? What a strange country!" -Dr. Nick, The Simpsons

  28. 0wnZOR3d 8Y 3+ by paiute · · Score: 2, Funny

    4LL tH353 WORLds @re YOUr5--3xcEPt EUrOP4. 4++3MPt n0 L4NdINg5 THerE

    --
    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
  29. IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM GENERAL ZORGOFF by Nova+Express · · Score: 4, Funny

    GREETINGS EARTHLING,
    I HAVE AN IMPORTANT BUSINESS PROPOSITION FOR YOU. SHORTLY BEFORE THE MOST RECENT MARTIAN CIVIL WAR, I HAD 37,000,000 (37 MILLION) MARTIAN GORANS SITTING IN THE FIRST BANK OF MARS. HOWEVER, NOW THAT THE BLUE THARK HAVE TAKEN OVER THE MARTIAN GOVERNMENT, I HAVE NO WAY OF GETTING MY MONEY OIFF THE PLANET.

    PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER SO I CAN TRANSFER THE FUNDS TO EARTH, AND I WILL BE GIVE YOU HALF THE 37 MILLION GORANS, WHICH IS WORTH OVER 50,000,000 (50 MILLION) OF YOUR EARTH DOLLARS. YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AND DISCRETION IN THIS MATTER IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

    - GENERAL GURLAK ZORGOFF

    --
    Lawrence Person (lawrencepersonh@gmailh.com (remove all "h"s to mail)

    http://www.lawrenceperson.com/

  30. World's most disgusting headline blooper by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 3, Funny

    So, whats the internet address for Uranus? http://ipn.myhomepage.ass ? or, .anus?

    Reminds me of when Uranus' faint rings were first discovered. Headline:

    IS THERE A RING OF DEBRIS AROUND URANUS?

    Probably missed because the "correct" pronunciation is "YOUR-ah-nus".

    Right up there with "MILK DRINKERS TURN TO POWDER".

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
  31. Windows 2150? by jim3e8 · · Score: 2, Funny

    The increase in Windows version numbers is exponential (3, 95, 2000, ...). By the time 2150 rolls around, I fully expect to be at Windows Avogadro.