The Incredible Computer Behind Apollo's Guidance and Navigation System

⚙️The computer in Apollo's guidance and navigation system is a high-speed adding machine with memory and a self-contained list of instructions.

🛰️The computer receives data from angle measuring devices and the keyboard, performs complex calculations, and provides output to displays and other instruments.

🔢It can compute results for mid-course corrections and estimate the present position and velocity of the spacecraft.

🌌The computer's memory contains important information for the mission, while its erasable memory stores temporary data.

🖥️The computer uses a sequence generator to generate controls necessary for its operation.

What is the role of the computer in Apollo's guidance and navigation system?

—The computer performs complex calculations, computes the spacecraft's position and velocity, and controls various instruments based on input data.

How does the computer receive input data?

—The computer receives input data from angle measuring devices and the keyboard, which is then processed for calculations.

How does the computer provide output?

—The computer stores results in its memory and sends them through output conditioning circuits to displays and other instruments.

What is the role of memory in the computer?

—The computer has both fixed memory, which contains important mission information, and erasable memory, which stores temporary data.

How does the computer generate controls for its operation?

—The computer uses a sequence generator to generate controls necessary for its operation, following a predefined list of instructions.

00:13Test engineers are checking out a collection of sophisticated telescopes, gyroscopes, and electronics for the Apollo project.

00:30The miniaturized computer at the heart of the guidance and navigation system is the focus of today's story.

01:11The guidance and navigation system is responsible for directing the Apollo spacecraft on its journey to the moon.

06:52The computer operates as a high-speed adding machine with memory and a self-contained list of instructions.

10:22The computer receives input data from angle measuring devices and the keyboard and provides output to displays and other instruments.

11:59The computer's memory is divided into fixed memory, which contains important mission information, and erasable memory for temporary data.

12:23A sequence generator is used to generate controls necessary for the computer's operation.