Monday, May 22, 2017

IT links (1.5. - 7.5.2017)

Java:

This week Java mainly:



Machine Learning & AI:



Monday, May 15, 2017

Orbital Transformation Unit

Orbital Transformation Unit is a versatile unit designed for multiple applications in various environments. Typically, these units are deployed in large numbers, ranging from tens to hundreds or even thousands, in orbit around celestial bodies.

The platform is comprised of two primary components:

Shield - The shield comes in circular, hexagonal, or polygonal shapes with a diameter of approximately 25 meters. One side of the shield typically features a reflective surface, while the other side is equipped with photovoltaic panels.

Central part - This part of the platform houses communication and remote sensing equipment, including powerful "effectors" such as multi-functional lasers and microwave antennas capable of producing tens of kilowatts. Precise positioning, orientation, and fine adjustments of individual components are managed through multiple electromagnetic gyroscopes. Synchronization with other orbiting units is maintained using small lasers for distance measurement and short-range communication.

The platform offers numerous capabilities, such as:
  • facilitating terraforming processes by either heating (frozen carbon dioxide on Mars) or cooling (in the case of Venus - shading the surface, creating an artificial magnetic field, and vaporizing part of the atmosphere) specific areas of a planet using reflected starlight and directed energy from effectors, or by shielding the surface. Additionally, it can illuminate surfaces perpetually shrouded in darkness by creating a bright spot 7 km in diameter, with a luminosity equivalent to 5-10 full moons under Earth-like conditions.
  • providing shielding against a star's ionizing radiation, primarily charged particles, using both its physical structure and an artificial magnetic field powered by photovoltaic panels. This is particularly useful for planets with weak or nonexistent magnetic fields, such as Venus or Mars.
  • establishing a robust communication mesh network during the early stages of colonization or terraforming, or assisting ground communication through ionization of upper atmospheric layers.
  • serving as an energy source by transmitting power to the ground via effectors. A vast swarm of platforms can even encompass an entire star, forming a Dyson sphere that captures a significant portion of the star's energy output (for example white dwarf in the case of Stellarvore project, or the smallest red dwarfs in other cases).
  • powering solar sails for travel within a solar system or to other star systems. Units dedicated to this purpose or those serving other functions, such as terraformation, can be employed to accelerate solar sails toward a specific destination.
  • supplying additional energy to space stations through groups of free-floating units positioned nearby.

These units are mass-produced with minor modifications, using materials sourced from small asteroids and other celestial bodies across multiple star systems. Hefaistos Defense Systems is the primary provider of these units.

Close-up view of the central part - featuring laser and microwave antenna

A more distant perspective showing the reflective side of the shield
"Belt of Light" - a series of glowing points in the sky created by OTUs
A representation of a Dyson sphere composed of loosely connected hexagonal OTUs