休斯顿，我们有一个网络问题

This article first appeared on网络世界，由IDG贡献者布伦特饮食。

我们已经涵盖了网络上的家庭星球上。但是，当我们发送任何人之前发出信号时会发生什么？

空间networking is two-way communication between base stations on Earth, and unmanned space probes, planetary rovers, orbital satellites or manned spacecraft. These radio signals bring back messages, images and scientific discoveries. Someday they’ll be used to communicate between colonies on Earth and the moon or Mars.

当然，我们不能只是“打电话”火星。外层空间的网络与我们在地球上的经历不同。

通信以光速行驶。这意味着无线电信号可以需要20分钟或更长时间才能到达火星行星流动站。这就像回到拨号。

你有邮件。

Beyond egregiously slow communications, space networking faces reliability challenges. Scientists can’t exactly order a space probe back to the lab if it malfunctions near Pluto. Or open the trunk of a Mars rover and pull out a spare if it freezes up on the Martian surface.

空间通信系统中的所有组件必须容忍高辐射水平，狂热波动和长期使用寿命。空间。comreported that “the radiation dose received by an astronaut on even the shortest Earth-Mars round trip would be about 66 rems. This amount is like receiving a whole-body CT scan every five or six days.”

Temperature also impacts reliability.地球外的大气层, objects in sunlight can reach 248 degrees Fahrenheit, while shaded objects can hit minus 148 degrees Fahrenheit. On Mars, the temperature varies between negative 284 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit,据美国宇航局说。

For systems like the Mars Rover, power efficiency is another challenge. What good is a rover that uses up its power supply before transmitting data or images back to Earth?

One small step for GaN (and GaAs)

该unforgiving realm of deep space is a perfect place for gallium arsenide (GaAs) and氮化镓（GaN）。Both compound semiconductor technologies are necessary for the inherently challenging conditions of space exploration and, most importantly, communications back to Earth.

GaAs是一家化合物半导体，几十年来已经是太空应用中的脱磁标准。GAAS放大器和开关都坚固且可靠，并已乘坐几个空间平台，包括通信和导航卫星。

但是，新的和新兴标准是GaN。GaN解决方案在较高温度下可靠地运行，比传统技术长100倍。GaN还在较小的包装中提供更高的输出功率和数据吞吐量，将能量消耗降低多达20％。

数以万计的GaAs和基于GAN的网络解决方案推出了空间应用。这些包括轨道卫星，支持像的关键程序波音的太空for broadband data, telecommunications and GPS.

美国宇航局也始终依赖于网络技术传播其发现。

NASA and networking

该Cassini-Huygens spacecraft通过NASA，欧洲航天局和意大利空间机构的合作使命推出了1997年的土星。Cassini-Huygens Probe包括旨在与航天器沟通到土星月亮表面，泰坦的宇宙飞船的关键设备。Qorvo的砷化镓（GaAs）技术是在连接的核心，将研究员送回地球。

几年后，火星是目的地两个美国宇航局，精神和机会，还配备了GaAs放大器。这些流浪者于2004年抵达，通过卓越的设计和行星聪明，精神继续运作并与地球进行沟通到2010年。其姐妹探讨，机会今天仍然是运作的，将数据发送到全球科学家。

然后来了新视野– a NASA spacecraft launched in 2006 and destined for Pluto. Communications system components helped New Horizons endure a nine-year journey and transfer the first high-resolution images of Pluto back to Earth. New Horizons is the first spacecraft to visit the Kuiper Belt, a large zone at least a billion miles beyond Neptune, which contains small, icy orbiting objects.

类似的组件是上空起重机着陆雷达火星科学实验室（MSL）及其好奇路虎in 2012. Networking was essential in navigating the now-famous “seven minutes of terror” to lower Curiosity safely to the Martian surface.

For the sci-fi fans out there, we’re also monitoring radio waves in search of intelligent life. Turns out the best way to search for aliens is with RF!

空间将外星网络可靠性和效率达到全新，“其他世界”水平。

通过正确的RF技术，它是无限的，而且超越！