This archive report was first published on 12 July 2019.
July 12, 2019
The Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC), a pioneering achievement in space exploration, was a crucial component in the success of the Apollo missions. This briefcase-sized machine, millions of times less powerful than a 2019 smartphone, was entrusted with handling flight control and life support systems during the first time a computer was used in space.
Despite an infamous false alarm during lunar descent, the AGC proved to be a resounding success, paving the way for modern avionics and multitasking operating systems. The AGC's impact on the world can be seen in several areas, including microchip revolution, multitasking, and real-time input.
The development of microchips, a necessary part of the miniaturization process, was accelerated by NASA and the Department of Defense. The two agencies bought almost all the microchips made in the US, forcing the makers to improve their designs and build circuits that lasted longer than their early life cycles of just a few hours.
Frank O'Brien, a spaceflight historian, noted that the AGC's requirements for reliability were
