Up for Auction: Memory from the First Computer in Space

Noel Chiappa jnc at mercury.lcs.mit.edu
Thu Oct 29 00:33:34 CDT 2015


    > From: Steven Malikoff

    > a Raytheon module from a Block 1 AGC 
    > ...
    > I don't think the Block 1's were flown(?).

Yes, but not on manned flights. (Researching this is made more complex
because there were quite a few different AGC designs; AGC3, AGC4, AGC4B, AGC5
and AGC6, in addition to Block I and Block II.)

Sources differ a bit: "Journey to the Moon" (Eldon Hall) says (pg. 107) that
Apollo 6 was "the last flight with Block I guidance system equipment" - but
it's not clear if that refers to the AFC. "Digital Apollo" (David Mindell)
says (pg. 175) that Apollo 5 was "the first Block II computer flight".

So somewhere around there. (Apollo 7 was the first manned flight, and the
first Block II spacecraft, per Mindell, pg. 176 - note that Block II
spacecraft apparently != Block II AGC - very confusing!)

Both excellent books, BTW - highly recommend them both.

	Noel


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