The mission of the InterPlanetary Networking Special Interest Group (IPNSIG) is to realize a functional and scalable system of interplanetary data communications.

We will accomplish this objective by engaging the public’s interest in funding and executing the research and technology development necessary to make InterPlanetary Networking (IPN) a reality. We will educate them about the critical need for a reliable, scalable space data network to enable cost-effective exploration and eventual commercial use of the inner solar system. We will excite them about the potential role these same network systems technologies can play in solving communication problems here on earth.

While igniting public interest, we will engage with those researching and developing the technologies and the standards that are advancing interplanetary exploration by advancing interplanetary networking. We will investigate commercial use of IPN technologies (most specifically, DTN).

Our membership is international and interdisciplinary in scope. We continue to engage in a number of research, public education, and academic outreach initiatives.