Hi All,
From the problem statement:
"Organizations conducting space exploration missions are deploying
IP-based networking infrastructure beyond Earth orbit, including on the
Moon and in other deep-space environments. These networks currently
utilize address space allocated independently from multiple RIRs,
including ARIN."
I am not sure that this is entirely accurate. Can someone cite
documentation of a current or past mission beyond GEO which
successfully deployed an IP network?
I concur that other planetary bodies, and perhaps spacecraft ranging
between worlds will likely have local IP networks deployed on them, but at
present, I am not convinced of the validity of this assertion.
Thanks,
Scott Johnson
On Wed, 27 May 2026, ARIN wrote:
The following Draft Policy has been revised:
*Draft Policy 2026-1: Taking IP To Other Planets (TIPTOP)
This revision adds one new paragraph to the Problem Statement. All previously
existing text remains unchanged:
"Implementation of any such addressing framework would depend upon broader
coordination within the Internet technical and registry communities, including
determination by the IETF and IANA that dedicated address resources and registry
coordination are necessary, concurrence among the RIRs regarding operational
responsibilities, and a determination by the ARIN Board of Trustees that participation is
consistent with ARIN’s mission."
The complete revised Draft Policy text is below and can be found at:
https://www.arin.net/participate/policy/drafts/2026_1/
You are encouraged to discuss all Draft Policies on PPML. The AC will evaluate
the discussion to assess the conformance of this Draft Policy with ARIN's
Principles of Internet number resource policy as stated in the Policy
Development Process (PDP). Specifically, these principles are:
* Enabling Fair and Impartial Number Resource Administration
* Technically Sound
* Supported by the Community
The PDP can be found at:
https://www.arin.net/participate/policy/pdp/
Draft Policies and Proposals under discussion can be found at:
https://www.arin.net/participate/policy/drafts/
Regards,
Eddie Diego
Policy Analyst
American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)
Draft Policy 2026-1: Taking IP To Other Planets (TIPTOP)
Problem Statement:
Organizations conducting space exploration missions are deploying IP-based
networking infrastructure beyond Earth orbit, including on the Moon and in
other deep-space environments. These networks currently utilize address space
allocated independently from multiple RIRs, including ARIN.
As international missions expand and networks operated by multiple agencies
interconnect to share communications infrastructure and provide operational
redundancy, the use of unrelated terrestrial address allocations introduces
routing scalability concerns. Existing allocations are not aligned with the
topology of outer space communications networks, which may require the
advertisement of numerous disaggregated prefixes when networks interconnect.
Outer space communications infrastructure is expected to develop around natural
clusters near celestial bodies, with limited communication links between those
regions. Addressing structures that reflect these topological boundaries could
improve route aggregation and long-term routing scalability.
Implementation of any such addressing framework would depend upon broader
coordination within the Internet technical and registry communities, including
determination by the IETF and IANA that dedicated address resources and
registry coordination are necessary, concurrence among the RIRs regarding
operational responsibilities, and a determination by the ARIN Board of Trustees
that participation is consistent with ARIN’s mission.
For the purposes of this policy, outer space includes the Moon and regions
beyond Earth orbit, but excludes low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary Earth
orbit (GEO).
Policy Statement:
ARIN may allocate IPv4 and IPv6 address space to organizations operating IP
networking infrastructure in outer space, including beyond Earth orbit and on
the Moon. Allocations are intended to support interagency connectivity,
operational redundancy, and scalable routing in emerging space networks.
Addressing structures should be organized hierarchically to reflect major
celestial regions—such as the Moon, Earth–Moon Lagrange points, and other
planetary systems—enabling route aggregation where feasible. Participation in
aggregation is voluntary, and organizations may advertise more specific
prefixes when necessary.
This policy applies to government, research, and commercial space operators,
and encourages coordination among agencies to facilitate efficient address
usage and scalable routing for outer space networks.
Definitions (Add to NRPM Section 2)
2.xx Extra-Terrestrial Network (ETN) An ETN is defined as any IP-based
networking infrastructure operating physically beyond the Geostationary Earth
Orbit (GEO) arc, including but not limited to Lunar, Martian, or deep-space
deployments.
IPv4 Policy (Add to NRPM Section 4)
4.11 IPv4 Allocations for Extra-Terrestrial Networks ARIN shall maintain a
dedicated pool or specific registration guidelines for organizations operating
ETNs to ensure routing scalability.
4.11.1 Eligibility: Applicants must demonstrate a direct operational
requirement for networking infrastructure located beyond Earth’s orbit.
Eligible entities include government agencies, research institutions, and
commercial operators.
4.11.2 Topological Hierarchy: To prevent global routing table exhaustion, allocations for
ETNs should be issued from contiguous blocks where possible, designated by
"Celestial Regions" (e.g., Luna, Mars, Lagrange Points).
4.11.3 Utilization Requirements: Standard utilization requirements (Section 4.2.4) apply, but ARIN
may grant exceptions for high-latency "cold storage" nodes or orbital relay
constellations where traditional "active host" pings are impractical for verification.
IPv6 Policy (Add to NRPM Section 6)
6.12 IPv6 Allocations for Extra-Terrestrial Networks Due to the vast distances
and high-latency nature of deep-space communications, IPv6 is the preferred
protocol for ETN deployments.
6.12.1 Minimum Allocation: The minimum allocation size for an ETN operator
shall be a /48, or a size sufficient to allow for hierarchical subnetting per
celestial body.
6.12.2 Planetary Aggregation: Organizations are encouraged to aggregate all
prefixes within a specific gravity well or orbital system to a single aggregate
route for advertisement back to Terrestrial Ground Stations (TGS).
6.12.3 Sparse Allocation: ARIN will employ sparse allocation techniques within
the ETN block to allow for the future growth of lunar and planetary colonies
without fragmenting the space.
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