It took about 10,500 keystrokes to complete a lunar mission. READ MORE: MN WEATHER: Freezing Fog Friday Morning, Light Afternoon Snow As Temps Begin To Plummet The computer in turn would communicate with the crew by flashing displays with words like PROG, VERB, and NOUN. “In the event that their communications link was broken, the computers kept up with the whole mission profile and would be able to take over autonomously.”Ĭrew members communicated with the AGC using display and keyboard units known as DSKY. “The whole mission was basically, I believe, controlled by Houston, but the computers were also designed to be autonomous in flight,” Zagrodnick explained. It also had to operate independently, for times when signals were lost. The AGC controlled every aspect of the Saturn V rocket with help from computers on Earth. The Apollo Guidance Computer (Image: NASA) “We changed from aluminum structures to partially magnesium to make the housings for the computers and equipment lighter.” “Weight was always a big factor,” Zagrodnick recalled. We had to work within the weight limits that that Saturn boosters could put into orbit.” “Very new, and it was pushing the technology. Norm Sears, the Technical Director for the Apollo Mission Development said digital computer development was brand new at the time. “By today’s standards, the Apollo computer which was two feet long, about a foot wide and six inches thick, would be the size of a big cell phone,” Zagrodnick chuckled.
It weighed 70.1 pounds and required 70 watts at 28 volts DC. The computer was fairly compact for its time. READ MORE: 1 Killed, 3 Injured In Snowy Crash In St. “The Apollo Guidance computer was the most intricate and complex control computer and navigation computer that existed,” said Bob Zagrodnick, who managed the AGC project.
The crew consisted of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, but there was a crucial “fourth crew member” on board: the Apollo Guidance Computer or AGC. (CBS) – On July 6, 1969, Apollo 11 lifted off with its sight set on the moon.