IRIS challenge coin.

Cisco Systems and Intelsat cooperated on a project to include an Internet router, the Cisco 18400 space router, as a hosted payload onboard Intelsat's geostationary IS-14 satellite. The US Department of Defense was the intended user. The satellite and payload were launched in 2009 and tested under the aegis of a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration, or JCTD.

IRIS is a successor to the CLEO Cisco router in Low Earth Orbit. Like CLEO, IRIS tested IPv6 in space.

Summaries of IRIS:

• IRIS Wikipedia page.
• IRIS summary flyer, Intelsat General and Cisco Systems, Strategic Space conference.
• Michael Florio, IRIS Operational Utility Assessment, slideset.

Videos discussing IRIS:

• Frost & Sullivan: Movers and Shakers with Brad Boston, 15 May 2012.
• TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. and IRIS, Michael Bristol, Hosted Payload, December 2011.
• Greg Pelton, Cisco - IRIS, Hosted Payload, June 2011.
• Updates on Cisco and the satellite industry, Steve Boutelle, Cisco Systems, 20 April 2011.
• Jeff Thompson, Cisco, Hosted Payload, Satellite 2011, March 2011.
• Satellite 2011- Greg Pelton, Cisco, Hosted Payload, 18 March 2011.
• Cisco's Brad Boston explains hosted payloads, Hosted Payload, 11 February 2011.
• Space Systems/Loral, CISCO, Intelsat and the IRIS Router, Hosted Payload, 26 January 2011.
• Brad Boston on Cisco's Internet router in space, Cisco Systems, 7 December 2010.

• Atlas 5 Rocket Launch With Intelsat 14 Satellite From Cape Canaveral, 24 November 2009.

IRIS is described in academic papers:

• Benefits of Delay Tolerant Networking for Earth science missions, Faith A. Davis, Jane K. Marquart and Greg Menke, IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, Montana, March 2012.
• Improving Communications Effectiveness and Reducing Costs with Internet Routing in Space: A DoD Joint Technology Capabilities Demonstration, Cisco Systems white paper, 2011.
• Assessment of the Internet Protocol Routing in Space - Joint Capability Technical Demonstration, E. Cuevas, H. Esiely-Barrera, H. Warren Kim and Z. Tang, Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, vol. 30 no. 2, 2011.
• Preliminary results of a technology demonstration of the internet routing in space capability over a geostationary communications satellite, E. G. Cuevas and T. Zhuangbo, IEEE Military Communications Conference (MILCOM 2010), October-November 2010.
• Connecting the Force from Space: The IRIS Joint Capability Technology Demonstration, M. Florio, D. Hotop, S. Groves, K. Davis and R. Farrell, Army Space Journal, Summer Edition 2010, pp. 44-47.
• Enabling Radical Innovation through Joint Capability Technology Demonstrations (JCTD): The Case of Internet Routing in Space (IRIS) JCTD Z. Szajnfarber and A. Weigel, AIAA Space Conference and Exposition, Pasadena, September 2009.
• High-performance Heterogeneous and Flexible Computing Architecture for Spacecraft Internet Protocol Communication and Payload, I Troxel et al., High Performance Embedded Computing Workshop, Lexington, September 2009.
• Achieving flexible waveform and data routing with the Programmable Space IP Modem, I. Troxel et al., IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, Montana, March 2009.
• When PIGs Fly - addressing software reliability concerns for the IRIS IP router operating system, C. Olsen, IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, Montana, March 2009.
• Internet routing in space NMS architecture, J. Johnson, J. Connary, J. Thompson and P. Donner, IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, Montana, March 2009.
• Internet Routing in Space: Architectures for Quality of Service, J. Connary, P. Donner, J. Johnson and J. Thompson, IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, Montana, March 2009.
• Considerations for the Performance Evaluation of a Geostationary Satellite with an On-Board Internet Router, E. Cuevas and Z. Tang, Proceedings of the 27th AIAA International Communications Satellite Systems Conference (ICSSC 2009) Edinburgh, Scotland, January 2009, pp. 232-238.
• Demonstration and Assessment of an On-Orbit Internet Protocol Routing Capability, R. Clark and M Florio, Proceedings of the 26th AIAA International Communications Satellite Systems Conference (ICSSC), San Diego, California, June 2008.
• Internet Routing in Space: Prospects and Challenges of the IRIS JCTD, M. Florio, S. J. Fisher, S. Mittal and S. Yaghmour, IEEE Military Communications Conference (MILCOM 2007), October 2007.

Related masters theses:

• Future Integrated Architecture (FIA): A Proposed Space Internetworking Architecture for Future Operations, Jeffrey Nelson, Naval Postgraduate School, September 2008.
• A Survey of Satellite Communications System Vulnerabilities, Jessica Steinberger, Naval Postgraduate School, June 2008.

• America Inc.? Innovation and Enterprise in the National Security State, L. Weiss, ch. 5: Advancing the Technological Frontier through Novel Military-Commercial Partnerships p. 116: Internet Routing in Space, Cornell University Press, 2014.

• Harris CapRock Provides IRIS Dedicated Telecom Team and Turnkey Communications Service, Harris CapRock.
• Fiscal 2007 New Start and Additional Fiscal 2006 Joint Capability Technology Demonstrations Announced, US Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), press release 365-07, 2 April 2007. This summarises IRIS as:

  Internet Protocol Router In Space (IRIS) - Satellite Internet resource allocation capabilities
  In coordination with commercial satellite communications providers, implements Internet Protocol (IP) routing and dynamic bandwidth resource allocation capabilities from a geostationary commercial communication satellite, which enables cross-band, cross-beam routing. Shows scalability, any-to-any connectivity within the coverage of the satellite, and satellite bandwidth IP gain. Advances DoD's guidance to grow an IP foundation across the enterprise and also builds the business model and contracting processes for DoD to use emerging commercial capabilities.

• TeleCommunication Systems Gets 2011 Satellite Spotlight Product of the Year Award, Satellite Spotlight, TMCnet, 23 July 2012.
• Frost & Sullivan Applauds Cisco for its Revolutionary Space Router, Frost & Sullivan press release, 23 March 2012.

Corporate webpages:

• Cisco IRIS news archive.
• Heritage Payloads, Internet Routing in Space (IRIS), Intelsat General.
• IP Routing in Space (IRIS), SEAKR.
• IRIS, RKF Engineering.
• Managed satellite services, TeleCommunication Systems, July 2011.
• Space routing with datasheets on the Cisco 18400 router, Cisco Systems, February 2011.
• relevant Cisco Systems website search results.

Public media articles discussing this work include:

• Need Satellite Managed Services? TCS Adds Cisco Internet Routing in Space to GSA & DISA Acquisition Program, Cara Sloman, Cisco Blog (Government), 11 June 2012.
• Frost & Sullivan Movers & Shakers Spotlight Cisco Internet Routing in Space, Cara Sloman, Cisco Blog (Government), 15 May 2012.
• In-Orbit Upgrades Enhance Security, Introduce IPv6 Support for IRIS, Cara Sloman, Cisco blog (Government), 19 March 2012.
• Satellite 2012: TCS Manages In-orbit Cisco router, Upgrades to IPv6, Doug Mohney, TMCnet satellite spotlight, 16 March 2012.
• TeleCommunication Systems Announces in Orbit Enhanced Security and IPv6 Software Upgrade to TCS OS-IRIS Platform on Intelsat 14, TCS news release, 14 March 2012.
• Telecommunication Systems selected by Diversified Communications, Inc. for TCS OSI-IRIS Managed Satellite Services: TCS Expands Industry-First Internet Routing in Space Technology to Broadcast Market, TCS news release, 12 March 2012.
• The Router from Outer Space, Tim Burke, Public Safety IT, Nov/Dec 2011.
• Focus: The Evolution of Satellite-Based Communication, Steven Boutelle, SatMagazine, Satnews, October 2011.
• Cisco router in space goes commercial, Daily Wireless, 16 May 2011.
• TeleCommunication Systems Announces Commercial Availability of Cisco Internet Routing in Space on Intelsat-14, TCS press release, 16 May 2011.
• Will IRIS change the space business, Mike Armstrong-Smith, Space Newsfeed, 13 May 2011.
• Cisco IRIS Updates, Cara Sloman, Cisco blog (Enterprise networks), 20 April 2011.
• Interview With Lt. Gen. Steven W. Boutelle, U.S. Army (Ret.), Clarence A. Robinson Jr., Defense Media Network, April 6, 2011.
• Executive Spotlight: Greg Pelton, Senior Director, Global Government Solutions Group, Cisco, SatMagazine, Satnews, April 2011.
• TeleCommunication Systems Announces Exclusive Arrangement With Cisco to Commercialize IT Communication Services on the World's First Space Router, TCS press release, 17 February 2011.
• Router merges land and space, Maryann Lawlor, AFCEA SIGNAL Connections, 15 February 2011.
• IRIS Space Router Key Capabilities and Benefits, white paper, Cisco Systems and Astrium, 2011.
• Cisco, call home, Jim Duffy, NetworkWorld, 7 December 2010.
• Internet routing in space takes IP ubiquity to a whole new level, John Mazur.
• Cisco's Internet Router in Space, Cara Sloman, Cisco blog (Enterprise networks), 7 December 2010.
• Cisco's Router in Space Debuts "Dial Tone From Space", Laurence Cruz, Cisco Newsroom, 7 December 2010.
• Cisco's Space Router to Transform Satellite Communications: Company Debuts First VoIP Call From Space, press release, Cisco Systems, 7 December 2010.
• Cisco Completes Testing of IRIS Satellite Router for U.S. Govt., Trupti Kamath, Satellite Spotlight, TMCnet, 9 August 2010.
• Cisco's Space Router Improves Performance and Enhances Operational Efficiency of Dept. of Defense Demonstration, press release, Cisco Systems, 20 July 2010.
• Paradigm Signs Up for Demo of Cisco's IRIS Payload, Debra Werner, Space News, 16 July 2010.
• Astrium and Cisco to explore space-based Internet Protocol (IP) routing, Astrium press release, 15 July 2010.
• SEAKR Announces Successful In-Orbit-Test Of On-Board Processors Hosted On The IS-14 Satellite, SEAKR press release, 26 April 2010.
• FOCUS - A Spatial Router, Laurence Cruz, MilSatMagazine, Satnews, March 2010.
• Command Center - Steven Boutelle, CEO, Cisco Iris, MilsatMagazine, Satnews, January 2010.
• Cisco's Orbital IP Router Test is a Success, Kevin Parrish, Tom's Hardware, 21 January 2010.
• Cisco trials 'internet in space', Austin Modine, The Register, 20 January 2010.
• Cisco puts an internet router in space, press release, Cisco Systems, Laurence Cruz, 19 January 2010.
• Space-based router promises more reliable communications, Kathleen Hickey, GCN, 18 January 2010.
• Cisco's Space Router Successfully Operates in Orbit, press release, Cisco Systems, 18 January 2010.
• Cisco Views IRIS Experiment as Market Primer for Space Routers, Turner Brinton, 27 November 2009.
• IP routing takes one giant leap into space, Dan Campbell, GCN, 4 December 2009.
• Internet routing blasts into space, Michael Cooney, Layer 8, NetworkWorld, 23 November 2009.
• Cisco router sent into space aboard Intelsat satellite, Cisco/Intelsat press release, 23 November 2009.
• IRIS: Changing the fixed-circuit paradigm, T. Merkle, R. Farrell and S. Groves, CHIPS The Department of the Navy's Information Technology magazine, July-September 2009.
• Cisco's new-market ambitions extend into orbit, Stephen Lawson, IDG News Service, 7 July 2009.
• Cisco extends demo of IP router in space, Patricia J. Parmalee, Aviation Week & Space Technology, 13 October 2008.
• SEAKR awarded IRIS development contract by Cisco, SEAKR press release, 4 December 2007.
• Intelsat to test Internet Routing in Space for US Military, Microwave Journal, 14 June 2007.
• IP and the battleground in space, Robert Clark, Telecom Asia, 3 May 2007.
• Government to test Internet routing in space, Winter Casey, National Journal's Technology Daily, 20 April 2007.
• Companies, government partner to test Internet Protocol routers in space, Melissa Frederick, Washington Examiner, 17 April 2007.
• U.S. military plans to put router in space, Michael Hoffman, Daily Tech, 16 April 2007.
• Cisco and HP race to put routers into space (in German), Colin Barker, ZDNet News, 16 April 2007.
• Net reaches out to final frontier, BBC News, 13 April 2007.
• US military to put Internet router in space, space.com, USA Today, 13 April 2007.
• Router technology creeps into the space age, John Leyden, The Register, 13 April 2007.
• US military plans to put Internet router in space (in Danish, in Russian, in Chinese), John Blau, IDG News Service, 12 April 2007.
• Space-based router could speed military satcom, Gayle Putrich, Defense News, 13 April 2007.
• Space Symposium: The Internet's Next Frontier -- Orbit, Robert Lemos, Wired News blog, 11 April 2007.
• Intelsat to Test Internet Routing in Space for the U.S. Military, Intelsat General press release, 11 April 2007.
• Pentagon, Private Firms Set Satellite Partnership, Andy Pazstor, Wall Street Journal, p. A9, 9 April 2007.
• Cisco Pushes Vision of IP-Based Satellite, Ground Systems, Missy Frederick, Space News, 12 June 2006.
• Cisco Increasingly Looks to Military Space Projects, Andy Pasztor, Wall Street Journal, 30 May 2006 (Dow Jones), page B3, 31 May 2006 (print).
• Stratcom Asks Cisco, PanAmSat To Study Feasability of Adding IP Router to PAS-14, Missy Frederick, Space News, 22 May 2006.

A brief early description of this project:

IRIS - IP Routing In Space
A demonstration of a capabilities based approach to rapid deployment of space systems using commercial technology, processes and schedules. IRIS is a first step in enabling the commercial SATCOM space segment to support Net Centric Operations directly.
IRIS is, at this point, an engineering analysis and assessment for US Strategic Command to determine the feasibility of incorporating a package that includes an IP modem, IP router and inter-satellite links on PAS-14, which was scheduled for launch in late 2008. The current design has two Ku-band beams, one C-band beam, and one inter-satellite link connected to the modem and router. PAS-14 is planned for a geosynchronous orbital location at 45 degrees East, covering the Middle East, Western Europe and Africa. A second IRIS payload on a to-be-determined satellite is planned for 2009.
The prime contractor is Intelsat General (formerly PanAmSat/G2 Satellite Solutions). Key partners are Cisco Systems, RKF Engineering and SEAKR Engineering.

The IRIS final report was originally scheduled to be due to US Strategic Command in July 2006. It is probably:
E. Cuevas, H. Kim, H. Esiely-Barrera, Z. Tang, and B. Ward, Operational Utility Assessment - IRIS JCTD, Report AISD-10-341, CSC01, JHU/APL, Laurel, Maryland, May 2010.

A presentation from Kay Sears, Intelsat General, to the SIA DoD Commercial Users Workshop in December 2006 included a slide on IRIS at end. There are some slides outlining IRIS at the end of the CLEO router in orbit slideset.