The Open Source Space Software Community

The Open Source Space Software Community David Boswell Mozilla Foundation Jessy-Cowan Sharp NASA Ames Research Center Outline Brief Overview of the Community Hurdles to Adoption Case Study: FlightLinux Case Study: CosmosCode Questions Brief Overview of the Community NASA: NOSA license, World Wind, CosmosCode European Space Agency: FITS Liberator, RACSI, GOAS Scientific tools: OrbFit, SETI@home, Midnight Mars Browser Engineering tools: Open-SESSAME, Open FlightLinux, JAT Community sites: DevelopSpace, Lunarpedia, Marspedia Emulators: Virtual Apollo Guidance Computer And more... Hurdles to Adoption Perception that open source doesn't apply to space - Release early and often doesn't work on Space Shuttle Limited Access to Space Easier to get a computer than to get into orbit Export Controls Many space applications fall under ITAR restrictions Legal issues for Government Agencies Difficult for civil servants to collaborate in FOSS projects Case Study: FlightLinux "A customized copy of a standard Linux distribution, adapted to the unique environment of a spacecraft embedded control computer." Contract with Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Started in 2000 and finished in 2002 Project received many offers to help, but offers were declined No source code was released from the project Export Control Issues International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR) apply to any satellite control software Code would need approval by NASA, Department of Defense and State Department Project restructured to separate unchanged public domain code from customized code to limit scope of review FlightLinux never finished review,although other NASA software, such as Beowulf, has passed review Dealing with Export Controls Didn't the FOSS community learn how to deal with ITAR during the Crypto Wars? In late 1990s, US government softened the restrictions on exporting strong encryption The government today is not likely to lift restrictions on satellite control software If encryption technology example is not relevant, how can open source space software projects address this issue? Current Status of FlightLinux It’s not just for rocket scientists anymore... "The Open FlightLinux Project is an open source paragon that strives to provide sustainable technology through superior engineering, next-generation design concepts, and open standards." Open FlightLinux can be used for a development platform, a server,an embedded real-time system, an appliance, a spacecraft, a cluster,even a desktop Community now open to the public, so take a look - !Warning! BUREAUCRACY !Danger! Case Study: NASA CosmosCode In 2004, the Open Source Initiative approved the NASA Open Source Agreement (NOSA) Milestone in open source software release at NASA AFAIK, first open source license designed to meet the needs of US government in general (cf. liability) Over 50 projects released to date - But the real benefits of open source come from active development Why open source development Cost Reduction: Leverage free and open source development process for projects that normally cost millions in development and testing Improve quality and functionality of existing products Improve the effectiveness of collaborations with other NASA Centers, space agencies, universities, and contractors Provide opportunities for broader involvement in the space program Distribute NASA's public software to as wide an audience as possible. Encourage adoption of common practices and open standards Software Release at NASA Technical management Patent Counsel Export Control IT Security Software Release Authority From release to development Release process doesn't translate well to active development and release of nightly snapshots Even World Wind, NASA's planetary data browser software, does open source development unofficially,and on external servers User agreements for sites like sourceforge require indemnification by submitter which is counter to NASA regulations How do we legitimize open source development from a procedural and legal perspective? Challenges (legal/policy) Bayh-Dole Act Intellectual property of contractors Definition of work completed Fair and open competition (cf. first NASA open source solicitation!) Liability Free labour User-generated content on government sites Challenges (cultural) Responsibility (precedent) Awareness (you CAN release open source) “Space is hard” “Space is a state secret” The way things have always been done Incentive structure (guilty until proven innocent) Everyone is overworked Moving forward Open Source Working Groups at NASA Ames Clarifying and Documenting 4 open source development scenarios: - => Public Contributions to NOSA-released software projects => NASA contributions to non-NASA projects (Bugzilla!) => Soliciting bids for new contracts => Starting new projects with existing personnel (existing contract) Putting it Together:CosmosCode  Free and open source software development site for the space community (Fall 2007) Project Hosting (Trac? Other?)   SVN source code repository wiki, tickets, timelines, mailing lists Documentation (software release tips, justifications for open source, ITAR advice, Guides for open source project success References – policies and laws Projects wish list and listing  Community Support (Drupal)     Thanks! + More Information - CosmosCode http://colab.arc.nasa.gov/cosmoscode (info, mailing lists) Ideas? Suggestions? Information? Collaborations? jsharp@mail.arc.nasa.gov - FlightLinux Open FlightLinux project site, Original FlightLinux project site FlightLinux Project Lessons Learned Report FlightLinux Project Final Report, Interview with Pat Stakem