DoD to Put Internet Router in Space

narramissic writes "ITworld is reporting that the Department of Defense plans to launch in the first quarter of 2009 a satellite-based router to deliver military communications. Satellite operator Intelsat will manage the three-year Internet Routing In Space (IRIS) project, while Cisco will provide IP networking software for the on-board router. After testing, the satellite will be available for commercial use. From the article: 'Potential nonmilitary benefits of the IRIS program include the ability to route IP (Internet Protocol) traffic between satellites in space in much the same way packets are moved on the ground, reducing delays, saving on capacity and offering greater networking flexibility, Lloyd Wood, space initiatives manager in the Global Defense, Space & Security division of Cisco, said Thursday.'"

hmmmm.....

[teeloo]

Can't wait til the hackers of the world try to hack into that one. I wonder what laws would apply? Are there any "space" laws per se?

Re:This can't be the first time

[BadERA]

They have, I don't think the article is saying this will be the first IP router in space. In fact, Cisco just carried out the first IPv6 routing in space the other day ...

Oy, vey...

[Penguinisto]

Wouldn't want to try and play any decent FPS on that puppy... the lag has GOT to be horrible.

Speaking of which, how DO they manage "realtime" data on that w/o the lag? It wouldn't exactly be true realtime if ~250ms delay keeps chucking in there. While that may be no biggie now, I can see where that would/could be a factor as real battlefields become just as data-dependant as the game ones. (cue lots of "haha, you got pwned by the Chinese!" jokes here, but seriously... I wonder how they're going to eventually get around that; the physics would be gnarly at best...)

/P

Re:sounds like a plan

[Archangel Michael]

Handcuff the soldiers and complain when they're getting the asses kicked. Typical Peaceniks.

Want victory in Iraq? Uncuff the soldiers and let them kill people and break things.

Re:sounds like a plan

[geekoid]

You want vistory in Iraq? killing civilians won't do it.

Hiring mercenaries that kill people when ever they want, won't do it.

A rebuilding plan annouced to the people, updated monthly, with schedules and real, visual, attainable goals and accomplishments is the only way to achive victory in Iraq.
The . Only . Way .

This does not mean 'Handcuffing' the solders, it means giving them a fucking chance, cause right now they ain't got one.

Re:Those numbers aren't even close to right.

[User 956]

Using Pentagon statistics cross-checked with independent research, King said he came up with an annualized Iraqi civilian death rate of 27.51 per 100,000.

Ok, so it sounds like he's counting the years when Saddam was still in power. Which, of course, would bring down the average, because the country wasn't in total chaos. But to be perfectly honest, they could have just made the numbers up. They don't cite their sources, and they don't cite their research, so it's impossible to see how they're calculating that.

Re:routing back to the states: no route to host

[WhatAmIDoingHere]

First: Learn how moderating works on slashdot. They can't comment non-AC because their accurate flamebait moderations would go away.

Second: You ARE bating flame. Hence your flamebait moderations, which in my opinion, were correctly applies.

Third: This is not the place for a debate on why you're a dick bag and why the guy who made the joke you're getting all pissed off about is an asshole.

Fourth: Just because you have family in the armed forced doesn't mean we automatically give half a shit about your opinion.

Fifth: I'm an asshole for making this reply.

Waste of tax dollars

[Anonymous Coward]

DISCLAIMER, I worked for HNS, LLC. They have developed, tested, and proven this concept already with the SPACEWAY 1 & 2 satellites. It routes IP from Satellite Terminal to Satellite Terminal, does multicast, mesh, etc. The DoD project is going to initially run at 100Mbps, SPACEWAY already does 10Gbps. SPACEWAY 3 is set to launch later this summer and be in service over 1 year before IRIS.
Check here [hughes.com]