IP Address Space for Outer Space
draft-li-tiptop-address-space-02

Deep Space Working Group                                           T. Li
Internet-Draft                                Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Updates: 7020 (if approved)                                   M. Eubanks
Intended status: Standards Track                       Space Initiatives
Expires: 21 November 2026                                    20 May 2026

                    IP Address Space for Outer Space
                    draft-li-tiptop-address-space-02

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
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   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
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   This Internet-Draft will expire on 21 November 2026.

Copyright Notice

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   Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights
   and restrictions with respect to this document.  Code Components

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   extracted from this document must include Revised BSD License text as
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   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.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     7.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     7.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5

1.  Introduction

   The exploration of outer space depends heavily upon communications
   technology and in many cases, uses IP.
   [I-D.many-tiptop-ip-architecture] 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

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   cycles.  All of these resources will be in short supply in outer
   space, so it benefits everyone to have routing be done efficiently.

   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

   *  Each other planet

   *  Other regions not covered by the above

   The size of the prefixes and when they are allocated is left to the
   discretion of the managing RIR.

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].  This document requests that
   IANA work with the Internet numbers registry community to provide for
   issuance of general purpose IP number resources for outer space in
   accordance with this document.  Because the amount of address space
   needed for outer space is minimal for the immediate future, one way
   to accomplish this would for one of the existing RIRs to manage the
   address space.  Creating a separate, new RIR is also acceptable, but

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   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
   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 work with the Internet numbers
   registry community to provide for issuance of general purpose IP
   number resources for outer space in accordance with this document.

7.  References

7.1.  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>.

7.2.  Informative References

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   [I-D.many-tiptop-ip-architecture]
              Blanchet, M., Eddy, W., and T. Li, "An Architecture for IP
              in Deep Space", Work in Progress, Internet-Draft, draft-
              many-tiptop-ip-architecture-03, 2 March 2026,
              <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-many-tiptop-
              ip-architecture-03>.

Authors' Addresses

   Tony Li
   Hewlett Packard Enterprise
   Email: tony.li@tony.li

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

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