IP Address Space for Outer Space
draft-li-tiptop-address-space-00

Deep Space Working Group                                           T. Li
Internet-Draft                                          Juniper Networks
Updates: 7020 (if approved)                                   M. Eubanks
Intended status: Standards Track                       Space Initiatives
Expires: 30 May 2025                                    26 November 2024

                    IP Address Space for Outer Space
                    draft-li-tiptop-address-space-00

Abstract

   The exploration of outer space depends heavily upon communications
   technology and in many cases, uses IP.  IP address allocation has
   been formally assigned to Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), but
   there is no formal allocation of address space for networks in outer
   space.

   This document describes updates existing address allocation
   procedures to include address space for outer space.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF).  Note that other groups may also distribute
   working documents as Internet-Drafts.  The list of current Internet-
   Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on 30 May 2025.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2024 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (https://trustee.ietf.org/
   license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document.
   Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights
   and restrictions with respect to this document.  Code Components

Li & Eubanks               Expires 30 May 2025                  [Page 1]
Internet-Draft             IP for Outer Space              November 2024

   extracted from this document must include Revised BSD License text as
   described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are
   provided without warranty as described in the Revised BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Efficient Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   3.  Per Body Address Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  Administration  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   5.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   6.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   7.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4

1.  Introduction

   The exploration of outer space depends heavily upon communications
   technology and in many cases, uses IP.  IP address allocation was
   formally assigned to Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) by [RFC7020]
   for each continent, but no provision was made to reserve address
   space for outer space.  As a result, address space for missions to
   outer space will likely be allocated by the various space agencies on
   a a per-mission basis, resulting in a haphazard patchwork.  As
   connectivity in outer space improves, this address allocation will
   prevent effective address aggregation, resulting in inefficient
   routing for all parties.

   Historically, addressing in the IPv4 address space prior to the
   introduction of CIDR was done in a similar manner.  This has led to a
   very large number of unaggregated /24 prefixes distributed globally
   that is colloquially known as "the swamp".  This has contributed to
   the IPv4 routing table's growth of up to a million prefixes as of
   this writing.  This document proposes avoiding a repeat of this for
   outer space by having a consistent and aggregatable address
   allocation plan.

2.  Efficient Routing

   Address aggregation was first documented in [RFC1518].  Aggregation
   allows the combining of multiple address prefixes that are closely
   topologically related into a single, less-specific, prefix.  Carrying
   fewer prefixes in the global routing infrastructure to cover the same
   amount of deployed address space is advantageous because it decreases
   routing protocol overhead, forwarding table space, and router CPU
   cycles.  All of these resources will be in short supply in outer
   space, so it benefits everyone to have routing be done efficiently.

Li & Eubanks               Expires 30 May 2025                  [Page 2]
Internet-Draft             IP for Outer Space              November 2024

   To understand how to aggregate prefixes in outer space, we need to
   anticipate what the topology of the networks in space will eventually
   become.  The historical growth of the Internet can help us in this
   regard.  As we can see from today's Internet topology, we have very
   good connectivity on land on most continents, where links are
   relatively easily deployed.  Continents are inter-connected by far
   fewer submarine fibers that cover larger distances and are much
   harder to deploy than land-based fiber.  We can generalize this
   observation and expect to see links where they are easier and cheaper
   to deploy, with fewer links in expensive, hard-to-deploy situations.

   In outer space then, we might expect that connectivity in and around
   celestial bodies will be much more common than links between bodies.
   Due to this expected topological relationship, and the desire to
   aggregate around topologically related networks, we should then
   expect that aggregation will be easiest around celestial bodies.

3.  Per Body Address Allocation

   To enable aggregation around celestial bodies, we would then like to
   have a prefix per celestial body.  The following regions should each
   receive a prefix:

   *  The moon and its environs

   *  Earth's Lagrange points

   *  The asteroid belt

   *  Each other planet

   *  Other regions not covered by the above

4.  Administration

   Administration of the IP address space for outer space should be done
   in much the same manner as is being done today by RIRs, according to
   the priniciples laid out in [RFC8720].  Because the amount of address
   space needed for outer space is minimal for the immediate future,
   IANA may choose to delegate address space assignment for outer space
   to one of the existing RIRs.  Creating a separate, new RIR is also
   acceptable, but would seem to be organizationally less efficient.

   The RIR for outer space should operate in a manner similar to other
   RIRs, allocating address space to qualified requests for those
   operating or with credible, demonstrable near-term plans for
   operating in Outer Space.  The RIR should have a single address space
   for all of outer space, and from the block allocate smaller blocks

Li & Eubanks               Expires 30 May 2025                  [Page 3]
Internet-Draft             IP for Outer Space              November 2024

   for each celestial body.  Allocations for each request should come
   from the relevant block for the celestial body.  In the case where
   there are multiple operators per body, this would then result in a
   set of prefixes from each operator, all from one common block for the
   body.

5.  Security Considerations

   This document creates no new security issues.

6.  IANA Considerations

   This document requests that IANA delegate allocation of IP address
   space for outer space to an existing or new Regional Internet
   Registry and direct the registry to allocate IP address space for
   outer space in accordance with this document.

7.  Normative References

   [RFC1518]  Rekhter, Y. and T. Li, "An Architecture for IP Address
              Allocation with CIDR", RFC 1518, DOI 10.17487/RFC1518,
              September 1993, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc1518>.

   [RFC7020]  Housley, R., Curran, J., Huston, G., and D. Conrad, "The
              Internet Numbers Registry System", RFC 7020,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC7020, August 2013,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7020>.

   [RFC8720]  Housley, R., Ed. and O. Kolkman, Ed., "Principles for
              Operation of Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)
              Registries", RFC 8720, DOI 10.17487/RFC8720, February
              2020, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8720>.

Authors' Addresses

   Tony Li
   Juniper Networks
   Email: tony.li@tony.li

   Marshall Eubanks
   Space Initiatives
   Email: tme@space-initiatives.com

Li & Eubanks               Expires 30 May 2025                  [Page 4]