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Software Development
One of the reasons I like the project is the caliber of the founding team. They are driven, well-credentialed, and bring accomplished domain experience.
The project aims to be open to anybody, so I thought a good idea would be for those of us lacking domain experience to get up to speed on the fundamentals and the language. Here are some free courses from some very well respected Universities all over the world.
These courses are all 100% free, online, and time efficient, with many lectures broken down into 15-25 minute increments that can be squeezed into spare time.
I'm halfway through the Princeton Bitcoin classes and highly enjoying it, and alot of technical lightbulbs are clicking.
Add any class links you might find helpful.
Space
Introduction to Aerospace Engineering: Astronautics and Human Spaceflight
Spaceflight is exciting, and you don’t have to be a “Rocket Scientist” to share in the excitement! 16.00x makes the basics of spaceflight accessible to everyone.
https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-aerospace-engineering-mitx-16-00x-1
The Conquest of Space: Space Exploration and Rocket Science
Explore the history of space travel and learn the basics of aerospace engineering.
https://www.edx.org/course/the-conquest-of-space-space-exploration-and-rocket-science
Space Mission Design and Operations
Learn the concepts used in the design of space missions, manned or unmanned, and operations, based on the professional experience of the lecturer.
https://www.edx.org/course/space-mission-design-and-operations-0
Blockchain
Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies
To really understand what is special about Bitcoin, we need to understand how it works at a technical level.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/cryptocurrency
Blockchain for Business - An Introduction to Hyperledger Technologies
A primer to blockchain and distributed ledger technologies. Learn how to start building blockchain applications with Hyperledger frameworks.
https://www.edx.org/course/blockchain-business-introduction-linuxfoundationx-lfs171x
IBM Blockchain Foundation for Developers
The first part of this course covers basic concepts of blockchain, and no programming skills are required.
If you're a software developer and new to blockchain, this is the course for you. Several experienced IBM blockchain developer advocates will lead you through a series of videos that describe high-level concepts, components, and strategies on building blockchain business networks.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/ibm-blockchain-essentials-for-developers
Emerging Technology
Industry 4.0: How to Revolutionize your Business
An introduction to the fourth industrial revolution, it's major systems and technologies and how new products and services will impact business and society.
https://www.edx.org/course/industry-4-0-how-revolutionize-business-hkpolyux-i4-0x
New Technologies for Business Leaders
From Blockchain over Artificial Intelligence to Virtual Reality technologies: This course will empower business leaders to bring the state of the art information technologies into their organizations to improve client and customer engagement and ultimately the bottom line of their businesses.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/new-technologies-business-leaders
general
This is basically my original concept for the MH12500 Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle standardised module. The baseline stats (basicly the mass budget allowances) are essentially identical to those I noted for the MH12500A module (the more advanced version). Although the mass budget is in the same range, the actual mass and capacity of the MH12500 are somewhat lower than the advanced version (this should be self evident, since the advanced version has the same dimensions, but "squares out" the structure toward the exterior).
I have made a few revisions to the design. Instead of a lateral triple tank, I have pulled-in the walls of the first (innermost) pressure vessel to 10m diameter. This is now a single tank, intended to store LH propellant for Earth launch. The second vessel has been brought in to the original 12m diameter, but now serves as an outer wall for a concentric LOX propellant tank. This means that the inner tank now functions as a common wall for both LH and LOX tanks. The benefit of this is that less insulation is required for the LH tank, as there is less temperature differential. Likewise, as the cross-sectional proportions of the two tanks happen to be just about the optimal burn mix ratio (so the propellants will be consumed at the same rate, linearly), the LH tank can be much lighter, as the mass differential is also greatly reduced. The two propellant tanks share common "endcap" bulkheads.
general
This is a 12.5m x 25m "wet-workshop" module currently under development. It is a derivative of an older, purely cylindrical design (an updated version of which I expect to post in the near future... once I have solved a problem that I am having with my CAD programme).
As a "wet-workshop" design, the module is intended for conversion to a habitat module following initial service as a propellant tank for a Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle. Given the intended eventual use, it is intentionally rather heavy for a propellant tank, with much greater mass than would otherwise be necessary or desirable. The MH12500A (The "MH" is obviously my initials, but it could also be interpreted as "Module-Heavy"; the number denotes the radius in mm; and, the "A" distinguishes this as a more advanced design) has a mass budget in the range of 80 to 100 tonnes, although it could prove to be much lighter in terms of actual structural mass (the remaining mass would be water added to the voids -I'll explain shortly- to provide extra radiation protection, as well as increased service water reserves). The much of this mass is intended to provide additional insulation / thermal protection, as well as micro-meteoroid and radiation protection.
The design is intended to permit up to five of these modules to be stacked in an HLLV configuration, although four modules would be the standard load-out. There would also be a propulsion assembly with at least four independently ejectable thrust assembly modules (to be staged when the added thrust is no longer needed), together with a fifth integral module that places the HLLV in orbit; and a nose-cone fairing... all of which are intended for recovery and reuse. A single module stack is possible, with an estimated 10 tonne useful load capacity (in addition to the converted structure and propulsion mass). The mass allowances assume a mass distribution of 90% propellant (required for an SSTO to achieve LEO with an average Isp of about 400s), 7% structural mass (the STS ET actually achieved a structural mass of just over 3%), 2% propulsion systems (assuming a thrust/mass ratio of 50... normal ratios are closer to 75), and 1% payload.
Among some of the more interesting features:
* Each module actually has five shell layers, spaced by four 5cm void sections. This layering provides added low-mass insulation (incorporating the voids); as well as a "whipple shield" protection mechanism, enhancing the actual mass/material shielding.
* The inner shell is actually composed of three distinct "tanks", incorporating common bulkhead techniques and technologies. The common bulkheads allow for decreased overall insulation requirements (since the common area has a much reduced temperature gradiant), as well as reduced containment mass (since the common area has a much reduced pressure gradiant). The integrated design provides greater mass protection against radiation and micro-meteoroids for the central volume.
* The linear (vs stacked) common bulhead tank arrangement greatly reduces the length of plumbing necessary to distribute propellants, which actually reduces added mass considerably.
* The modules are designed to "dock" with one another, with multiple docking ports, allowing for propellants to flow directly from tank to tank. Again, this reduces required piping mass.
* Intertank modules will be designed to: support the mass of "strap-on" boosters; permit continuous flow-through for the outermost void (which may serve as an added or alternative propellant flow channel, if necessary); serve as load space, directly serving the adjacent modules; and accomodate eventual repurposing as tunnel wall support (etc). Modified intertanks could serve as an alternative propellant configuration (incorporating the flow-through capabilities of the outermost void spaces.
The CAD drawings attached (converted to JPEGs) show the general arrangement of the voids, the three tanks of the interior shell, general boundary outlines for the remaining shells, one panel of the exterior end-cap bulkhead, and various construction lines. The parallel construction lines inside the tank space denote centrelines and boundary lines denoting compartment divisions. These latter consist of four lateral decks, themselves divided into a central corridor, two primary living space channels, and two supporting space channels. The outer decks and supporting space channels provide additional radiation shielding for living space areas.