All the grid power in the world for your Mars simulation application?!

hornig · 2012-08-18 03:39:02

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!

hornig · 2012-08-18 15:24:49

Hi Koeng,

Koeng wrote:

Hello!
I have a small idea but I don't really know how I could do it so maybe your computer could. (Most likely a person could do this)
It is about bacteria on Venus. If bacteria multiply every 24 hours, and 1 bacteria is put in the atmosphere, and each bacteria decrease the atmospheric pressure a little, therefore decreasing the temperature a tiny bit, how long would it take so bacteria can live on the surface? I will get the numbers later but do you think this could be a project? I think a time chart on terraforming would be nice
Do you think this idea is good (even though it is not about mars)

As I stated it's not Mars exclusive, so it's fine . And I don't have to like it. When you guys can describe why it is important to know such results, it's double fine! .

If you can model this behaviour it can be simulated. But I'm no biology expert and not even close to an exobiology expert . So when someone can do that, great . But I'm not sure if you really need a super computer grid for this, could you explain that aspect to me?
But nevertheless such ideas are welcomed to be discuessed in here!

Koeng wrote:

Another idea I have, how much rocket fuel would it take, and when to launch them to get a small 5 kg satellite to mars, or titan, or ceres, or venus, or europa? I think that estimate would help so if the mars society ever wanted to send a communication satellite to Mars, or any other planets.
-Koeng

that could be a possible task for "Solar System Grand Tour" app we have just started, have a look here http://www.newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=6767
We want to have it so universal, that we can do more trajectories than just this grand tour, because the ühysics behind it will be true for any probe. so yes, this could be be checked with it. but 5kg satellite ar rather smal, aren't they? do those cube sats have enought power for sending signals back home? this is only a question out of interested. but those ideas are also welcome for such apps.

best regards,

Andreas

James Burk · 2012-08-18 23:54:09

Hi Andreas,

I passed this offer along to our Mars Simulation team, that is the only one I know that might be interested. I have an upcoming meeting for the folks at Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) and will mention it also.

Thanks,

hornig · 2012-08-19 04:44:31

Hi,

Koeng wrote:

I don't really know very much about satellites... My hobby is mostly Synthetic biology , so I wouldn't know anything about

it's vice versa for me. I don't know much about biology

Koeng wrote:

Also I was thinking a grid so all aspects of what COULD happen could be explored. First simulated 500 years of just the numbers. Then more varibles. So in the end we REALLY have everything that could happen, plus simulated hundreds of years with all those varibles. I think this would be important because 1 it would give time tables for further discussion and 2 more if this ever really picked up and a project started, the investors would like to know some numbers

Parameter variation is great for our distributed computing system with BOINC. If your method results in an overall task time of several months on one single standard pc, but you can break it down to single independent workunits with several hours, it would run good on Constellation. Our users want to help and they would like to help a project for a longer time than just one week and then the project is finished. The longer, the better . But with some intermediate results.

Koeng wrote:

I love the idea of a public solar system grand tour, because that brings out 1 part of a mission and leads to better planning

I also like the concept and it can have a nice looking screensaver http://youtu.be/uu1nXVxAvyk
We just started a subgroup for it and I hope I can also use if for my next diploma thesis (moon mission )

Koeng wrote:

And for the numbers sorry I am still looking around to make good esimates for the bacteria, should get them in a day or two.
-Koeng

kay, will wait for it .

Last edited by hornig (2012-08-19 05:53:23)

hornig · 2012-08-19 13:27:53

Hi James,

jburk wrote:

I passed this offer along to our Mars Simulation team, that is the only one I know that might be interested. I have an upcoming meeting for the folks at Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) and will mention it also.

That would be great, thank you!
Does the Mars Simulation team have a special website, so that I can have a quick look what they do? Perhaps I can help to think about how we can help them.

And for MDRS, there are possible topics of:
* maximum life support simulation of such an habitat.
* expansion strategies of habitate modules to build a satellitement or to cover a certain area.
* route planing for EVAs to different exploration sites ("travelling space/sales-man problem")

But anyway, thank you! I send an email to MS more than 1 year ago and no one has replied yet. So thank you for this offer. I hope to hear from you or the others again.

Andreas

hornig · 2012-08-22 04:23:22

Hi Koeng,

if you can model and code it, and when you need a lot of PCs for it, then we could try to put it on Constellation!
Perhaps it's suitable to start a new thread where you could go into details with other people who can help, because I don't know anything about that biology topic . You could post a link here and I'll also keep an eye on that thread and help with the distributed computing side.
I just want to safe this thread here for general discussions and ideas and then transfer the details to separated threads. It helps the overview .

So, when you think you can't calculate such things by hand andymore, just start this as a project.

Andreas

hornig · 2012-08-31 05:56:25

Hi Koeng,

could you please post an url to you in detail discussion yu mentioned? I think it's a better place to discuss it there in the needed level.

but concerning this. do you need a super computer to calculate this? I think your progeny example is solvable by compound interest (in German it's called "Zinseszins") http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compound_interest and you can easily do that with a normal calculater. the only tricky part is the starting parameter for your surrounding and the bacterias. but the "how often do they have to splitt to reach that number" question is easy, I think.

best regards, Andreas

hornig · 2012-09-06 07:42:57

Hi,

James created a team on Constellation http://aerospaceresearch.net/constellat … eamid=1858 where you all could join and crunch for the project AND the team .

Andreas

Rxke · 2012-09-06 08:24:57

darn, I just joined another team!

hornig · 2012-09-19 13:29:20

Hi,

you can always change teams!

Andreas

Rxke · 2012-09-21 14:09:34

I just did.

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#1 2012-08-18 03:39:02

All the grid power in the world for your Mars simulation application?!

#2 2012-08-18 15:24:49

Re: All the grid power in the world for your Mars simulation application?!

#3 2012-08-18 23:54:09

Re: All the grid power in the world for your Mars simulation application?!

#4 2012-08-19 04:44:31

Re: All the grid power in the world for your Mars simulation application?!

#5 2012-08-19 13:27:53

Re: All the grid power in the world for your Mars simulation application?!

#6 2012-08-22 04:23:22

Re: All the grid power in the world for your Mars simulation application?!

#7 2012-08-31 05:56:25

Re: All the grid power in the world for your Mars simulation application?!

#8 2012-09-06 07:42:57

Re: All the grid power in the world for your Mars simulation application?!

#9 2012-09-06 08:24:57

Re: All the grid power in the world for your Mars simulation application?!

#10 2012-09-19 13:29:20

Re: All the grid power in the world for your Mars simulation application?!

#11 2012-09-21 14:09:34

Re: All the grid power in the world for your Mars simulation application?!

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