New Mars Forums

I just keep it short: You code open-source space apps for Constellation, Google Summer of Code pays! Constellation was selected as one out of 177 organizations for this year's edition of Google Summer of Code.

For all of you already interested, just follow this link to get more information about Constellation, our application ideas and how to apply[1].

The Google Summer of Code (GSoC) is an annual program, in which Google awards stipends (of 5,000 USD, as of 2012) to hundreds of students who successfully complete a requested free and open-source software coding project during the summer.[0]

We're looking for students within a wide spectrum. If you're just able to code a loop, but are an awesome mathematics modeler, or you're excellent with writing code but just know, what a Hohmann transfer is, we're looking for both of you! We're not just offering plain coding jobs.

Our Current Ideas are:
D1: Next Generation Distributed Super Computing - P2P-Science-Grid
A1: Solar System Grand Tour - a tour of one probe to all 8 planets plus pluto!
A2: Distributed Ground Station Network - tracking software for HGG.aero
A3: Airborne Observatory Flight Route Optimization - flight routes for airplanes like SOFIA
C1: Visualization / Screensaver
C2: Space Top Trumps (educational game)
Xx: your project! - if you have a great aerospace idea, just post it in our ideas thread.

And, to be honest, there are even more great organizations, where you could apply for. There is GNSS-SDR[2] that could be very intersting for HGG.aero as well.
Just give them all a visit and decide, and then choose Constellation!

You can also propose a Mars Society coding idea!

[0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Summer_of_Code
[1] http://www.google-melange.com/gsoc/org/ … esearchnet
[2] http://www.google-melange.com/gsoc/org/ … 3/gnss_sdr

Hi there,

I'm one of the organizers for SpaceUp Stuttgart unconference that is an uncomplicated conference for everyone!
I know that a lot of you couldn't come, what's a pitty because some Mars Society Deutschland members will be there, BUT we started the "60 Seconds to Land" video opportinity where everybody can record a 60 seconds long video about ANY space topic he/she likes (it doesn't have to be Mars only!) and we will play them on our unconference or even use them as a starting point of discussions.

So I invite you to send me videos! And please, give me the chance to download them, because I don't like to rely on internet connections during conferences. Black outs, you know!

Best regards,

Andreas
www.spaceup.org/stuttgart

Hi there,

EMC12 will be in Munich, Germany this year. http://yfrog.com/nizyip
Are you going?

I'm still not sure whether or not I will have time, but I hope to attend. What are your plans?

Andreas

Hi Everyone,

I'm Andreas and I started the distributed computing platform Constellation ( http://aerospaceresearch.net/constellation ). We're a young academics group at the University of Stuttgart and we do our own numerical application and support others, who need massive computing power.

I'm a Mars enthusiast myself and it somehow influenced me become an aerospace engineer. So I would really like to see a Mars related project as an application on our Constellation grid. So I would like to know if you have or if you know a project that could need computing power worth 7000 PCs for their task?

Our system uses BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing) and the super computer is formed by essentially you. Volunteers install BOINC on their personal computer and connect it to our or a lot of other projects and donat their idle cpu time when they are not on their PCs, or when they wathc videos or write documents. That's the best part in my opinion, that volunteers can help research and are really included and important to achieve the goal.

Perhaps you could help yourself, if you have an application but don't know where to get the computing power.
There are several ways:
* you have an existing application, so just contact us
* you know a project, that you think could need some bosst, so tell them about Constellation and post it here
* you have you own idea. That's great, post it here and we will start a new one!
* you don't have your own idea but are a great coder or can do other things. That's also great, we could form a team here or there are open source projects you could modify.

For example, there are these open source projects that already run great but need some modification, so that they could run on Constellation
* Mars Sim Rover http://marsroversim.wikkii.com/wiki/Main_Page
* Mars Sim Project http://mars-sim.sourceforge.net/

So, I would really like to see Constellation host a Mars application in any form and helping to bring probes, rovers and perhaps humans to mars. Even though we start it on earthly computers.
This offer is not exclusively for the Mars Society, because it should help all Mars efforts, but I would like to start this in this forum category.

What do you think? Have your say in this thread,

Andreas
--
http://aerospaceresearch.net/constellation/ Distributed Computing for Humankind!

Hi everyone,

does anyone of you play the "Mars Simulation Project" ( http://mars-sim.sourceforge.net )?
It's an open source software and you can simulate your own mars settlement.

I haven't played it yet, but I like their concept.

Best regards,

Andreas

Hi everyone,

although I had to create a new account, I know this forum for quite a whole now and I'm a Mars enthusiast.

I would like to ask you, what kind of special features you would like to get in our just started "Solar System Grand Tour" app we#re working on for www.AerospaceResearch.net/constellation
I will post a short description afterwards and this is our first code testing http://youtu.be/MqMHmBnos7k

Tour of the Solar System:

In the 1970's NASA's Planetary Grand Tour was an ambitious plan to the alignment of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto and not recur for 176 years for their Voyager Space Probe programme. This planetary constellation could be used to extend the probe's trajectory to planets further out in the Solar System by means of gravitational slingshots at those planets.
Solar System Grand Tour is a more academic approach to determine if it's possible to visit each planet in our Solar System with a Voyager class probe or with one of the successors (New Horizons) in the next 176 years within a reasonable time span.
The mission includes: * starting in Earth orbit * fly-bys of each planet and including Pluto at least once (as a reminiscent of the Voyager Programme, although Pluto is categorized as a "Dwarf Planet" now) * analyzing time beginning from now and within the next 176 years. * Voyager or New Horizons class of probe dimensions and resources, like masses and propellant. No "Battlestar Galactica" ship with infinite resources.
The challenge includes possible tasks of: * numerical n-body simulations of space probe and celestial bodies for the trajectory (3D) * Ephemerides of the celestial bodies * optimizing and finding strategies for the tour route (brute force combinatorics, ant colony optimizations, etc) * spacecraft attitude and orbit control for transfer routes and thrust phases * visualization of the route(s)
Resources: * in case of high performance computing demands, the Constellation Platform is available and the app needs to include a distributed computing function, so that the workunit can be processed on independent personal computers connected via the internet attached to Constellation.

When we will try to finde a route to all 8 planets + pluto, it would be way easier to do that for an earth-mars trip, and I would like to ask what kind of parameters you would like to have included. for example the ssgt will concentrate of probes like Yovager or New Horizon, but perhaps you would like to see a high thrust space craft powered with a MWatt engine .

If this is interesting for you, just drop me a line here. You are also invited to be part of the team and code or do other important topics.

best regards,

Andreas
--
www.AerospaceResearch.net/constellation - Distributed Computing for Humankind!