An architecture for bundle routing in space: Collaborative contact negotiation and visionary server for DTN route development

Space networks face significant challenges establishing physical links due to uncertain node positions and heterogeneous communication systems, requiring pre-computed flight dynamics and higher readiness levels than terrestrial networks. This study introduces a visionary server, an authoritative ground-based management system generating pre-negotiated paths instead of relying on real-time computations by individual nodes. The server distributes routing information through a structured extension block for bundle protocol version 7, enabling contact establishment without prior knowledge of adjacent node characteristics. Qualitative simulations using realistic scenarios validate this concept's effectiveness. The key innovation lies in the dual-mode architecture combining centralized coordination with distributed failure detection, which: (i) reduces computational requirements by processing on ground, (ii) facilitates network trouble shoots through available routing information, and (iii) considers data rate, frequency, and modulation type while orchestrating routing decisions across heterogeneous space assets without requiring physical layer standardization.