Apollo Guidance Computer

The Apollo 8 crew used sightings on stars, the Moon, and Earth to update navigational data stored in their Apollo Guidance Computer, which calculated the spacecraft’s velocity and location. The results were compared with data computed by Earth-based tracking stations. MIT’s Instrumentation Laboratory developed this system for NASA.

Caption:
Astronauts used celestial sightings to update data stored in this computer, which calculated the spacecraft’s velocity and location.
Type: Photograph
Image Date: ca. 1968
Credit: Courtesy of NASA
Origin: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NA-46
Innovations
Navigation Methods
 

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Astronauts used celestial sightings to update data stored in this computer, which calculated the spacecraft’s velocity and location.