New Glenn
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@George-K Agree. I was also thinking of the technology, etc. I think it was you(?) who educated me that the computer power in the Apollo was less than my current computer by a lot!!
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@taiwan_girl said in New Glenn:
the computer power in the Apollo
The computing power of the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) used in the Apollo capsules can be described as follows:
- CPU: The AGC had a single 2.048 MHz (some sources cite 1.024 MHz due to the clock being divided by 2) RTL (Resistor-Transistor Logic) processor.
Memory: - ROM: It had 36 kilowords (about 72 KB) of core rope memory, which was non-volatile and used for storing the program code.
- RAM: There was 2 kilowords (about 4 KB) of magnetic-core memory for data storage.
- Word Size: The AGC used 16-bit words.
- Instructions: It had around 90 basic instructions.
- Performance: The speed was quite limited by today's standards; it could perform around 40,000 additions or 8,000 multiplications per second.
- Software: The software was written in assembly language, using a unique system called "Interpretive" for higher-level operations, which made the limited hardware more efficient by running compiled code.
To give a modern comparison, the Apollo Guidance Computer was roughly equivalent in processing power to the first generation of home computers in the late 1970s or early 1980s, like the Commodore 64, but with much less memory and without the benefit of modern microprocessor advancements. It was, however, incredibly advanced for its time given its reliability and role in space missions.
This computing power was sufficient to navigate to the Moon, perform mid-course corrections, and manage the lunar module's descent and ascent, all while being robust enough to handle the harsh environment of space travel.
- CPU: The AGC had a single 2.048 MHz (some sources cite 1.024 MHz due to the clock being divided by 2) RTL (Resistor-Transistor Logic) processor.
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@taiwan_girl
If you look at clips from "The Right Stuff," there's a whole sequence of US rockets in the early 60s blowing up. It would have been a national embarrassment if the Apollo missions had failed (look at Apollo 1!).Good call about that movie. Similarly, and I've mentioned it a few times recently I know, the movie First Man is really "authentic" and you see some of the closer calls they had to deal with such as the first successful docking (Gemini
but resulting near-disaster when it went into an uncontrolled roll. Very intense. And of course during the actual Apollo 11 moon landing let's not talk about how they were down to the last few seconds of fuel before touching ground. -
I ordered this a few days ago: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760366578?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
It shipped yesterday. I'm hoping to see more detail on the hardware, built with natural intelligence.
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I ordered this a few days ago: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760366578?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
It shipped yesterday. I'm hoping to see more detail on the hardware, built with natural intelligence.
Cool. I bought/downloaded an Apollo 11 simulator for the VR goggles. Should put me in the seat from launch to landing, I think, including needing to fly the lander?
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"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08
The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.
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for the VR goggles
Deets?
Got the MetaQuest 3S goggles for Christmas. Very impressive technology, better than I expected, although it can make you dizzy. There are two modes, hybrid where you see the room around you AND virtual screens in front of you, and fully immersive where you are 100% "in" a world (flying through canyons, exploring the ISS, playing mini golf, etc...) and you set a boundary in your room so it won't let you walk into a wall.
Aside from the fun, if I was immobile or alone, it is an AMAZING way to "get out". You can virtually watch a (real!) movie sitting next to someone wearing VR goggles even if they are 10,000 miles away, or you can hike real trails (like the grand canyon) as people have "filmed" 360-degree 4K footage while hiking, that you can explore from that POV.
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@taiwan_girl said in New Glenn:
@Copper Sounds cool. Let's know how you like it!
@89th That sounds cool also. I think a market for the goggles will also be live concerts and sporting events where you can purchase a ticket to "be there" but not really there.
Totally. There is an app where you can be courtside for NBA games but I don’t care about basketball at all but the execution is amazing. It’s nearly the same thing as the $20k seat cost in person.
