The ground segment of the DSN consists of three main antenna sites, around the world. These are connected to JPL by commercial satellite links. ATM has been designed with the intended channel being optical fibre. Deep Space Network Tele-presence will play a role in future space missions. It is the use of communications to provide a remote projection of human presence, for instance this can be done with robotic rovers remotely piloted by earth based scientists.
Robotic rovers require stereo vision using low rate compressed images.
Therefore tele-presence methods require transmission of integrated video and data. Cost minimisation requires the establishment of standardised communications techniques that may support these services. The bit rates being used on the commercial satellite links in the ground segment are generally T1 or less. The services that use these links vary from command files for spacecraft and ground distribution of telemetry, to voice communications among operators and test data. There is also the future possibility of using these links for digital video.