Wanna Build a Rocket? NASA’s About to Give Away a Mountain of Its Code - Polidicks

[url]http://www.wired.com/2014/04/nasa-guidebook/?mbid=social_fb[/url] [quote]Forty years after Apollo 11 landed on the moon, NASA open sourced the software code that ran the guidance systems on the lunar module. By that time, the code was little more than a novelty. But in recent years, the space agency has built all sorts of other software that is still on the cutting edge. And as it turns out, like the Apollo 11 code, much of this NASA software is available for public use, meaning anyone can download it and run it and adapt it for free. You can even use it in commercial products. But don’t take our word for it. Next Thursday, NASA will release a master list of software projects it has cooked up over the years. This is more than just stuff than runs on a personal computer. Think robots and cryogenic systems and climate simulators. There’s even code for running rocket guidance systems. This NASA software catalog will list more than 1,000 projects, and it will show you how to actually obtain the code you want. The idea to help hackers and entrepreneurs push these ideas in new directions — and help them dream up new ideas. Some code is only available to certain people — the rocket guidance system, for instance — but if you can get it, you can use it without paying royalties or copyright fees. Within a few weeks of publishing the list, NASA says, it will also offer a searchable database of projects, and then, by next year, it will host the actual software code in its own online repository, a kind of GitHub for astronauts.[/quote]

[img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12875849/reactions/emot/emot-buddy.gif[/img] Whoa, that's p. awesome.

North Korea's rocketry program just advanced 60 years. Thanks, NASA.

[QUOTE=Grimhound;44448420]North Korea's rocketry program just advanced 60 years. Thanks, NASA.[/QUOTE] And thanks to that, most of their code is based off shit we can predict and beat the shit out of. In short, the Patriot rocket system is gonna become a fuck-ton more useful.

[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;44448456]And thanks to that, most of their code is based off shit we can predict and beat the shit out of. In short, the Patriot rocket system is gonna become a fuck-ton more useful.[/QUOTE] I was making a joke. ...I think I was, anyway. I don't even know anymore.

here comes the exploits, and hackers

[quote]rocket guidance system[/quote] Uh, I'm surprised they're releasing that. Usually the DoD tightly controls anything that could be used to aim missiles better

[QUOTE=download;44448682]Uh, I'm surprised they're releasing that. Usually the DoD tightly controls anything that could be used to aim missiles better[/QUOTE] Read the rest of the article. Says systems like rocket guidance are only available to certain people. Prolly gotta pass a battery of tests or something

[QUOTE=download;44448682]Uh, I'm surprised they're releasing that. Usually the DoD tightly controls anything that could be used to aim missiles better[/QUOTE] this stuff is fairly old now, and control theory has been improved upon since then. it's easy to find papers describing designs for controllers for rocket guidance (at least in an abstract way) of various types i suppose the difference here is that it would be code that has actually been used in something, but it still lacks the hardware; plus something like that would be waaaay easier to code with resources available today than back in the time of Apollo 11 [editline]4th April 2014[/editline] if someone [I]really[/I] wants to make a rocket guidance system, they probably can from books and papers you can get from the internet

Moon Colony here we come!

[QUOTE=Uber|nooB;44448723]this stuff is fairly old now, and control theory has been improved upon since then. it's easy to find papers describing designs for controllers for rocket guidance (at least in an abstract way) of various types i suppose the difference here is that it would be code that has actually been used in something, but it still lacks the hardware; plus something like that would be waaaay easier to code with resources available today than back in the time of Apollo 11 [editline]4th April 2014[/editline] if someone [I]really[/I] wants to make a rocket guidance system, they probably can from books and papers you can get from the internet[/QUOTE] For instance the MechJeb mod for fucking Kerbal Space Program is a decent rocket guidance implementation, the biggest chunk of the real deal it's "missing" is the actual guidance data gathering (because in the game, you can just fetch exact X/Y/Z positions, velocities, everything, with a single line), and secondly the interface for controlling actual thrusters servos and such, as again, that's just a couple float value deal in KSP. These two things make all the difference tho because they are completely hardware dependent. You would need to gather data from GPS (which are nowhere as precise as you can get in the game so the control system has to be far more robust), you would need to construct and program the actual control of the rocket engines, thrusters, everything, not to mention these things aren't something you can just pick up at Walmart. Seriously, I am fairly sure that even if they released their complete rocketry control systems, it would help very few people with serious malicious intent of this scale. It's not really [I]the problem[/I] when it comes tor rocket construction. I am pretty sure that the purpose for the entire release is primarily NASA trying to capture the attention and interest of public into space exploration and such, which would help them to get funding.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;44448785]For instance the MechJeb mod for fucking Kerbal Space Program is a decent rocket guidance implementation, the biggest chunk of the real deal it's "missing" is the actual guidance data gathering (because in the game, you can just fetch exact X/Y/Z positions, velocities, everything, with a single line), and secondly the interface for controlling actual thrusters servos and such, as again, that's just a couple float value deal in KSP. These two things make all the difference tho because they are completely hardware dependent. You would need to gather data from GPS (which are nowhere as precise as you can get in the game so the control system has to be far more robust), you would need to construct and program the actual control of the rocket engines, thrusters, everything, not to mention these things aren't something you can just pick up at Walmart. Seriously, I am fairly sure that even if they released their complete rocketry control systems, it would help very few people with serious malicious intent of this scale. It's not really [I]the problem[/I] when it comes tor rocket construction. I am pretty sure that the purpose for the entire release is primarily NASA trying to capture the attention and interest of public into space exploration and such, which would help them to get funding.[/QUOTE] speaking of KSB, do you think they will be able to use some of this code? I hadn't thought about it in that way, all this code might make for some pretty interesting/realistic games eh?

If someone's interested, this site got a bunch of Apollo and Gemini spacecraft source code: [url]http://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/links.html[/url]

[QUOTE=God of Ashes;44448715]Read the rest of the article. Says systems like rocket guidance are only available to certain people. Prolly gotta pass a battery of tests or something[/QUOTE] "So, why do you want the control code?" "Well, i'v been trying to get to the Mun in KSP for a while and...."

This'll probably give a boost to SpaceX, unless they already have stuff like this.

SpaceX can land a whole rocket stage on a helipad from suborbit, I think they're pretty capable already.

I still think it should be governments colonizing space, not corporations.

[QUOTE=Swilly;44450783]I still think it should be governments colonizing space, not corporations.[/QUOTE] as you said, it should, but it won't, because "free market".

What they don't tell you is that it is all 1960s code, so we'll need a mainframe, a wheelbarrow, and access to Pentium's garage just to get the hardware to run this stuff.

It would be phenomenal if NASA has just posted lines of code that NK think are legit, but are really just US postal addresses in binary. Their next rocket would launch like a dickey toe..

Oh awesome. Now people [url=http://electronicapascual.com/blog/?p=92]who choose to build the AGC from scratch[/url] have software to run on it.

[QUOTE=cucumber;44448495]here comes the exploits, and hackers[/QUOTE] [img]http://facepunch.com/fp/browser/firefox.png[/img] Yeah free and open source software is bad, that's why the browser you're currently using is exploited every day - oh wait

[QUOTE=Wizards Court;44450906]as you said, it should, but it won't, because "free market".[/QUOTE] yeah the idea of a for-profit organization representing the pinnacle of human endeavour is a little upsetting

[QUOTE=BrainDeath;44453441]yeah the idea of a for-profit organization representing the pinnacle of human endeavour is a little upsetting[/QUOTE] I think it's a good thing. I think it will be the greatest economic expansion and enrichment of our age, if the regulators do their job, that is.

This will work great for my space laser nu- I mean station.

[QUOTE=Wizards Court;44450906]as you said, it should, but it won't, because "free market".[/QUOTE] I dunno about that. Gotta claim it for [COUNTRY] first. Whoever lands on Mars first'll own it and be able to decide what to do with it, I think.

You know, its funny, this is something I always thought about copyrigthed and closely guarded ideas/projects. Say, for example, you got this new technology and due to patents only you and you can keep it. So...Coca Cola, you've got the "secret" formula. But somehow, it impedes further development. It kinda forces the standard to be at where you want. Why? Well, imagine if that formula was available to every beverage producer in the world. From those shitty Manaos we make here in Argentina to those chain store ones in Europe/US. The "shitty" standard would be now the normal coca cola flavour, and everybody would be pushing to create something new and tastier to get moar $$$. Now, there's this counter argument, that there would be no incentives to develop, but we're kinda stuck there in the middle. If the fucktards at coca cola don't have and won't have (because amassing the capital you need to battle with Coca Cola is waaaay too hard) the competence, then, why bother keep developing the recipe if you know you own the neighbourhood? Just when someone pops his head around you add a little this and BANG, they are out of business. So I hope many people and companies actually make something out of this. For the better of mankind. Positivism fuck yeah.

[QUOTE=BrainDeath;44453441]yeah the idea of a for-profit organization representing the pinnacle of human endeavour is a little upsetting[/QUOTE] Your outlook is faulty, organizations other than governments can be driven by non-profit motives.

[QUOTE=BrainDeath;44453441]yeah the idea of a for-profit organization rethatpresenting the pinnacle of human endeavour is a little upsetting[/QUOTE] "NASA" Rockets are made by for-profit companies that make nuclear delivery systems and planes designed to bomb and destroy. Then there's SpaceX, Orbital, and Virgin Galactic. For-profit companies that want to use their profit to make space easier. Naaaah, let's keep launching on inefficient, over-priced, relics of the past from companies who developed said technology for the soul purpose of killing Russians by the millions all because people want to feel the nostalgia of the days when NASA only existed to beat the commies. [editline]5th April 2014[/editline] Never mind the fact if spacex was given the EELV contract ULA was given it would have saved the taxpayers [I] $11.6 billion dollars.[/I]

[QUOTE=Bradyns;44451003]It would be phenomenal if NASA has just posted lines of code that NK think are legit, but are really just US postal addresses in binary. Their next rocket would launch like a dickey toe..[/QUOTE] Nah, just have something that converts their measurements in meters to feet or vice-versa on the fly.