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Hi all! I've got a fun orbits question I've been toying with for a few days now, and I've hit something of a wall. I was hoping I might get some insight from you fine folks that might push me in the general direction of the solution. The question is this: given two arbitrary orbits defined by...

Hi everyone, This is a quick question I've got for some of the more experienced folks here on the forum. I'm applying for a GNC Engineering position and the application is asking about "statistical filtering techniques." Now, I have some experience with Kalman filters but I'm otherwise...

Hi everyone, Sadly, over the past few months, I've noticed that GPU on my trusty HP 8510w laptop (an nVidia Quadro model) has started to fail. Clearly this is not good. Anyway, long story short, I'm now in the market for a new PC. I'm not quite at the point where I'd be comfortable building...

Hi everyone! I have a quick programming question concerning the optimization of some code. I'm working in Java, I have the following loop (in pseudo-code): p=1; for(i=A to B) { p = p*i; } I know what A and B are, and I'm looking to compute "p". Normally I'd just run the loop and be...

Hi there, Does anyone have a copy of "Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications" by Vallado handy that would be willing to scan a few pages from the section on Battin's method for solving Lambert's problem? I've been trying to implement the algorithm, but some aspects are eluding me. If...

Hi everyone, I'm currently working on a little Java program in an effort expand my knowledge of the language. While doing so, I decided that I wanted to create contour plots of data. I have been scouring the internet today for a plotting library that can create decent-looking contour plots...

Hi everyone, I have a question regarding the solution technique for the two point boundary value problem that arises when computing the optimal launch to orbit of a rocket. The problem I'm posing is for a planar rocket launch with no atmospheric drag, constant thrust over mass (F/m), and...

Hi Everyone, As some around here know, I'm a graduate student studying astronautics. I also happen to teach a basic calculus course to help pay for that education. In my class, I have a few Chinese students who have particularly difficult names to pronounce. What I'm looking for is someone...

A week or two ago I mentioned in the Trajectory Optimization Tool thread that I was looking at creating a simulation tool "add-on" for the TOT. Well, I've been working on it now for a bit and it's managed to turn itself into its own project (again! How does that happen?). It's really gotten...

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone had any data on the course correction maneuvers that Mars Recon. Orbiter performed on its way to Mars. I'm particularly looking for dates and DeltaV vectors, if they're available. I did some Googling, but there doesn't seem to be anything out there in plain...

Trajectory Optimization Tool v2.0 By Arrowstar The Trajectory Optimization Tool is a MATLAB-based utility used for finding the optimal trajectory between any number of bodies in the solar system. Given an initial planet, the subsequent bodies to visit, and a range of dates for launch and...

Hi guys! I'm working on a little project to try and simulate gravity gradient torque for a generic spacecraft. I'm doing my work right now in MATLAB to try and develop the mathematics needed to get all of this right. However, I've run into a little snag and I was hoping someone can show me...

Dr. Schweiger, I'm attempting to put together a rudimentary model of the density of the Martian atmosphere. In my search for data, I went through the Orbiter 2009 technotes and documentation the other day, but I was unable to find a summary of the Mars atmospheric model that you have...

Hi all, I've been looking into alternative methods to determine the flight path of a body other than by direct numerical integration of Newton's second law (sum the gravity forces, determine velocity, determine position). In particular, I've been thinking about how I might use mechanical...

Hi all, I'm in the middle of putting together a proposal for a project I'd like to conduct for an advanced fluid mechanics course I'll be taking this upcoming quarter. What I'd like to do is put together some simulations of aerocapture/aerobraking heating at Mars, and I'd like to focus on the...

"Lawmakers produce Bill to extend shuttle to 2015, utilize CxP, advance HLV" Not to introduce yet another "shuttle extension" thread, but NASASpaceFlight.com just published an article concerning a bill that will be introduced to Congress...

Hi all, I'm currently looking into purchasing another stick of RAM for my laptop (to fill an empty slot) and I have a question about the process and what to look for. I'm fairly confident that I need to purchase the same type of RAM that is in there now, which I have found to be DDR2-667...

Saw a portion of this video on SpaceFlightNow, and all I have to say is 'wow'. Its a portion of Gen. Bolden's hearing in front of the House Science Committee. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e8A9Z8AQlA

Howdy folks, So I've started playing with Dwarf Fortress, and I'm having a lot of fun with the little guys. However, I'm having serious issues trying to get working on different Z-levels of my mountain lair. I've checked out the DF wiki's stair guide and I've been experimenting around, but I...

Hi all, I've got a MATLAB script working to create a series of plots. I'm looking to be able to stitch these plots, saved in JPG or PNG format, together into an AVI or some other video format. I've browsed the net for a bit now, but I haven't come up with anything that looks good or even...