5G-MOSAIC: 5G Mission-Critical Sidelink for Autonomous and Interoperable Communications in Lunar Networks

Communication in lunar environments requires substantial modifications to current state-of-the-art (SOTA) 5G technology. The difficult terrain and long-range requirements of lunar missions introduces critical gaps between the SOTA and requirements, including hardware, inability to communicate outside of base station range, and limited device-to-device connectivity. EpiScis solution is to provide NASA lunar missions with 3GPP-capable solutions on terrestrial SWaP-constrained platforms. This project will develop a 3GPP compliant 5G Sidelink (SL) SWaP prototype, which enables peer-to-peer communication when outside of a 5G base stations range and enables direct handset-to-handset connectivity. EpiScis solution is three-fold: (1) It is a 5G SL solution (which provides relay, multi-hop, and MANET capabilities); (2) it uses a realistic 5G lunar-surface model (to meet performance evaluation needs); and (3) it is a novel interface design, similar to the Small Cell Forums 5G nFAPI interface, but modified to support 5G SL. While these three aspects provide an overall improved lunar network, EpiScis solution includes additional enhancements to data speeds, traffic-offloading, prioritization, and reliability. These enhancements are enabled by an AI-based network manager to optimize traffic flows and modify configuration parameters to provide significant performance improvements. Furthermore, our team has developed a real-time 5G emulation (5GEM) tool, resulting in an adaptable, plug-and-play tool which allows the user to realistically model adverse terrains and observe the performance prior to deployment. Our 5G Mission-Critical Sidelink for Autonomous and Interoperable Communications in Lunar Networks (5G MOSAIC) solution will offer a communication solution with higher reliability and lower latency, ultimately contributing to the success of NASAs lunar missions. NASA's lunar missions require innovative technologies to support communication requiring high data volume transfer, high throughput, and low equipment size, weight, power, and cost. To address these challenges, EpiSci proposes to leverage 3GPP technologies and standards to establish a flexible and interoperable lunar communications infrastructure, that cannot be achieved with current methods, such as WiFi. Our 5G-MOSAIC solution will offer significant advantages over current solutions by enabling critical EVA audio and video communication with higher reliability and lower latency, contributing to the success of NASA's lunar missions. The proposed solution is motivated by the need for a sidelink (SL) architecture that enables mission-critical suit-to-suit and rover-to-suit communications in disconnected environments. The 5G SL architecture is designed to meet mission-critical communication scenarios, such as those encountered in lunar environments where connectivity can be difficult. The main objectives of this work include the design and development of 5G sidelink (SL) for lunar applications. 5G SL will provide EVA suits and the overall NASA mission with the ability for multiple suit pairs to maintain communication with one another, especially in the cases where they are not in the range of the 5G base station (LTV or HLS). The 3GPP compliant 5G SL will be loaded on SWaP hardware; the team plans to work with the NASA DRATS testing facility to better test the over-the-air hardware prototype. Prior to the hardware implementation, EpiSci proposes to modify the existing real-time 5G emulation tool to support lunar deployment. This tool already includes various 5G pathloss, SISO, and MIMO models and will make use of a lunar-surface channel model designed in Phase I. Lastly, the team will design and transition the 5G SL model into an enhanced 5G system through the usage of a comprehensive AI-based network and resource manager. This network manager will enable autonomous hardware and software configurations in real-time to adapt to lunar-surface channel adversities and environmental changes. The final deliverables include the 5G lunar-surface emulator, the 3GPP 5G-SL protocol stack source code, and software loaded SWaP hardware for prototype demonstrations.
Benefits: 5G-MOSAIC technology directly applies to NASA’s visions to equip the lunar network with 5G capabilities while being able to maintain mission-critical and suit-to-suit and suit-to-rover communications. Our spectrum sensing and network management technologies will be application to future NASA missions such as the Artemis and Mars missions. These technologies will also be applicable to NASA’s unmanned missions for transferring data through its satellite and ground networks. EpiSci’s commercial business model for 5G-MOSAIC is most analogous to Red Hat’s Linux. EpiSci is heavily investing in dual-use 5G technologies to become a software-defined networking company that intends to license or sell commercial-grade software development tools and the necessary training to build, run, and maintain a customizable 5G network based on the expanded capabilities such as sidelink.