research-article

In-orbit Computing: An Outlandish thought Experiment?

Authors:

Debopam Bhattacherjee,

Melissa Licciardello,

Ankit SinglaAuthors Info & Claims

HotNets '20: Proceedings of the 19th ACM Workshop on Hot Topics in Networks

Pages 197 - 204

https://doi.org/10.1145/3422604.3425937

Published: 04 November 2020 Publication History

Abstract

Space industry upstarts are deploying thousands of satellites to offer global Internet service. These plans promise large improvements in coverage and latency, and could fundamentally transform the Internet. But what if this transformation extends beyond network transit into a new type of computing service? What if each satellite, in addition to serving as a network router, also offers cloud-like compute, making the new constellations not just global Internet service providers, but at the same time, a new breed of cloud providers offering "compute where you need it"?

We examine, qualitatively and quantitatively, the opportunities and challenges of such in-orbit computing. Several applications could benefit from it, including content distribution and edge computing; multi-user gaming, co-immersion, and collaborative music; and processing space-native data. Adding computing hardware to a satellite does not seem prohibitive in terms of weight, volume, and space hardening, but the required power draw could be substantial. Another challenge stems from the dynamics of low Earth orbit: a specific satellite is only visible to a ground station for minutes at a time, thus requiring care in managing stateful applications.

Our exploration of these trade-offs suggests that this "outlandish" proposition should not be casually dismissed, and may merit deeper engagement from the research community.

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Index Terms

In-orbit Computing: An Outlandish thought Experiment?
1. Networks
  1. Network services
    1. Cloud computing

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cover image ACM Conferences

HotNets '20: Proceedings of the 19th ACM Workshop on Hot Topics in Networks

November 2020

228 pages

ISBN:9781450381451

DOI:10.1145/3422604

General Chairs:
Ben Zhao
University of Chicago
,
Heather Zheng
University of Chicago
,
Program Chairs:
Harsha V. Madhyastha
University of Michigan
,
Venkat Padmanabhan
Microsoft Research India

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Published: 04 November 2020

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HotNets '20: The 19th ACM Workshop on Hot Topics in Networks

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Cited By

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https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/3691825.3691870
Zhang MShi HMa R(2024)Edge-Distributed IoT Services Assist the Economic Sustainability of LEO Satellite Constellation ConstructionSustainability10.3390/su1604159916:4(1599)Online publication date: 14-Feb-2024
https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041599
Bhosale VGavrilovska ABhardwaj K(2024)Krios: Scheduling Abstractions and Mechanisms for Enabling a LEO Compute CloudProceedings of the 2024 ACM Symposium on Cloud Computing10.1145/3698038.3698566(322-340)Online publication date: 20-Nov-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3698038.3698566
Pfandzelter TBermbach D(2024)Komet: A Serverless Platform for Low-Earth Orbit Edge ServicesProceedings of the 2024 ACM Symposium on Cloud Computing10.1145/3698038.3698517(866-882)Online publication date: 20-Nov-2024
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