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NASA Launches Open Source Portal

Posted by Soulskill on from the not-your-typical-nasa-launch dept.

sproketboy writes "NASA has launched code.nasa.gov, which will become a portal for NASA's open source software development activities. In its current form, it hosts a directory of the organization's open source software projects and provides documentation about NASA's open source software processes."

33 comments

  1. Disappointed by JustAnotherIdiot · · Score: 4, Funny

    I thought NASA created a worm hole of sorts and was going to open source that.
    This news is much less exciting ):

    --
    What do I know, I'm just an idiot, right?
    1. Re:Disappointed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Now you're thinking with Portals!

      You should probably cut that out, it's not healthy.

  2. Wait... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    so now I can write code that might go into space one day?

    1. Re:Wait... by g0bshiTe · · Score: 4, Funny

      My functions are already out of this world.

      --
      I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
  3. why isn't it public domain? by Trepidity · · Score: 1

    I would've thought that NASA-written code (not licensed from contractors) would be in the public domain as a U.S. federal government work, just like NASA photographs are. Is there a reason that isn't the case?

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    10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
    1. Re:why isn't it public domain? by Tsingi · · Score: 1

      I would've thought that NASA-written code (not licensed from contractors) would be in the public domain as a U.S. federal government work, just like NASA photographs are. Is there a reason that isn't the case?

      I poked around briefly and did not find any mention of the license they will be using.

    2. Re:why isn't it public domain? by Trepidity · · Score: 2

      They have their own custom license, the NASA Open Source Agreement.

      --
      10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
    3. Re:why isn't it public domain? by rwv · · Score: 2

      I dug very briefly into the Vision Workbench tool and found code labeled (paraphrasing) "Property of US Government via NASA: All Right Reserved". They should do a basic sanity check for this before publishing something and claiming it's Open.

    4. Re:why isn't it public domain? by rwv · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure how much NASA does in-house. I assume a whole bunch of the interesting bits are done by contractors and are ITAR restricted.

    5. Re:why isn't it public domain? by Bomazi · · Score: 1

      Why do you believe it isn't the case ? Anything NASA writes in-house is in the public domain, by law. Any copyright notice or restriction you might see has been added by an over-zealous employee and can be safely ignored.

    6. Re:why isn't it public domain? by ch-chuck · · Score: 2

      Would be much more GNU like if they came up with something like 'Nasa Available Source Agreement', NASA, but NOSA?
      Guess we should be happy they didn't use 'Nasa Open Source Entitlement'.

      --
      try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
    7. Re:why isn't it public domain? by Sarten-X · · Score: 1

      As Microsoft will be quick to tell you, there are many different forms of "open", and only a few of them exempt you from getting screwed.

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      You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
    8. Re:why isn't it public domain? by rahvin112 · · Score: 1

      I still remember when NASA employees had written most of the Ethernet drivers in Linux.

    9. Re:why isn't it public domain? by gmhowell · · Score: 1

      Would be much more GNU like if they came up with something like 'Nasa Available Source Agreement', NASA, but NOSA?
      Guess we should be happy they didn't use 'Nasa Open Source Entitlement'.

      They tried, but found that N.O.S.E. was wholly incompatible with Stallman's.... aura.

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
  4. This is the license they use by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Open_Source_Agreement

    Oh... and their projects are hosted at GitHub https://github.com/nasa/. That website in the summary is just the Homepage of those NASA projects hosted at GitHub.

  5. Open Source Doors? by kiehlster · · Score: 1

    I thought doors were in public domain since the angels rolled away the stone in front of Jesus' tome.

    1. Re:Open Source Doors? by Anomalyst · · Score: 1

      Jesus' tome.

      I didnt think J had written or owned a book of note, the writings of him are purported to be those of his disciples.

      --
      There is no right to feel safe thru security vaudeville at the expense of everyone's freedom, privacy and tax money.
    2. Re:Open Source Doors? by kiehlster · · Score: 1

      Alas! I've let out the secret in err! Fouled again by dyslexia!

  6. Schematics by TeXMaster · · Score: 1, Funny

    Damn, and here I was, hoping that NASA had had the Portal technology for some time and that they were finally releasing the schematics for the Portal gun ...

    --
    "I'm never quite so stupid as when I'm being smart" (Linus van Pelt)
    1. Re:Schematics by TheRealMindChild · · Score: 1

      Well, for it to be effective, you need millions of pounds of moon rocks, unless of course you hope to throw the other end of the portal on the moon. However, I can't imagine Wheatly would be so appreciative.

      --

      "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
    2. Re:Schematics by stms · · Score: 1

      My first thought was the same. My second thought was "the post is a lie!!!".

  7. Cave Johnson must be furious by pezpunk · · Score: 4, Funny

    first Black Mesa steals all his contracts, now NASA open-sources his IP.

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    i could live a little longer in this prison
  8. N.A.S.A by Tyrannosaur · · Score: 1

    National Aperture Science Administration

    1. Re:N.A.S.A by kdemetter · · Score: 1

      Still Alive, Still Alive ...

      --
      Slipping shoelaces ?
  9. Modern VCS by l0b0 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    GitHub repos? Looks like somebody over there has a clue.

    1. Re:Modern VCS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Didn't you hear?
      All the cool kids are using Mercurial.

    2. Re:Modern VCS by narf314 · · Score: 1

      I've been pushing for Git at NASA since I started working (recent college grad) so I'm glad to see that it is starting to get traction in some areas. This is going in my bag of reasons why my group should switch as well!

  10. Not free software by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So... who gives a fuck?

  11. This is neat by cshark · · Score: 1

    I'm taking apart the level of difficulty calculator now. This is USEFUL!

    --

    This signature has Super Cow Powers

  12. Funded by NASA = public domain? by ivi · · Score: 1

    Or, now that I have no length limit to my line:

    Funded by NASA => owned by US Gov't AND also public domain

    So, what's the problem... It never said NOT Public Domain. :-)

  13. Yeez by Severus+Snape · · Score: 0

    All these counties really are broke..

  14. Good for India & emerging countries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Indian AC posting -

    I have a doubt if this will for very long, but this is good for countries like India and China and Eastern Europe. We didn't have the same head start but now we are progressing faster, this will help a lot.

    It seems unfair that U.S. taxpayers paid for this and then the whole world gets the technology but I am not complaining.

    Is there a link to download the code for the space probes? Is it written or Java or C++ or what please?

  15. OMG _ its that slow! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    they started this project FIVE YEARS AGO at least - its just open to the public now?!?