Submitted via IRC for AnonymousLuser
The machine that made the Moon missions possible
We've all been there: you're working on something important, your PC crashes, and you lose all your progress.
Such a failure was not an option during the Apollo missions, the first time ever that a computer was entrusted with handling flight control and life support systems—and therefore the lives of the astronauts on board.
Despite an infamous false alarm during lunar descent that sent Commander Neil Armstrong's heart rate racing, it was a resounding success that laid the groundwork for everything from modern avionics to multitasking operating systems.
Here are some of the ways the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC), millions of times less powerful than a 2019 smartphone, shaped the world we live in today:
- Microchip revolution
- Multitasking
- Real-time input
- Passing the test
(Score: 4, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday July 17 2019, @04:40PM
Playlist has 25 videos of the AGC restoration. Haven't watched them all, but they are kinda fascinating. You get a look inside the box, and closeups of the components. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KSahAoOLdU&list=PL-_93BVApb59FWrLZfdlisi_x7-Ut_-w7 [youtube.com]