Ask HN: Looking for contributors?

http://tudat.tudelft.nl

This project has been my life for the last 4 years. Was fed up with the fact that no one was collaborating within my research group in terms of software, so decided to set this up at the beginning of my PhD. Learned a lot of C++ along the way (and a whole lot more still to learn!).

If you're interested in getting involved, feel free to sign up on the website. There's a stack of features that are still to be implemented, and some fantastic research projects that can be carried out. I've also been looking to implement a Python interface so that the code becomes more accessible (especially to undergrad students in the department).

Some example simulations that have been carried out with Tudat:

* Launcher ascent trajectories

* Interplanetary mission design

* Global trajectory optimization

* Low-thrust trajectory design

* Circumplanetary dust dynamics

* Space debris conjunction analysis

* etc., etc.

So if you want to get your hands dirty with some cool space simulations, we'd love to have you on-board. Feel free to drop me an email if you have any questions about the project: me [AT] kartikkumar [DOT] com.

The stack is a walking cliché: Node.js, Redis, MongoDB, Coffeescript. Lots of open issues, with plenty that are tagged 'good for beginners' (to the project, not necessarily with the tech). We've also got a dev chat room where we're available to help you get started whenever we're online: http://www.hipchat.com/g1nJMcj7b

We have strong opinions about the correct way to write javascript/coffeescript to be unit testable, and how to write apps based on lots of small services which are robust and testable. We'd be delighted to have people contribute and either sway our opinions, or pick up some of our experience.

A reimplmentation of CouchDB in the browser based on indexedDB / webSQL, its designed as a library for web devs to build applications that work offline and sync data seamlessly when their users login to other devices.

Theres a contribution guide @ https://github.com/daleharvey/pouchdb/blob/master/CONTRIBUTI... and we try to tag good patches for beginners @ https://github.com/daleharvey/pouchdb/issues?labels=goodfirs...

As a project I spend a lot (pretty much all) my time on trying to make it easy to contribute (while at the same time producing a well built easy to use library), would love to hear back about how easy / insanely hard the process is.