looking for documentation for 1963 minuteman missile computer - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

16 Oct 2001

...
  At 11:43 PM 10/14/01 -0400, you wrote:
 On Monday, October 15, 2001 9:25 PM, Carlos
Murillo wrote:
  Rocket science is in the rocket engine. 
Navigation is
 not that hard, comparatively... 
When all you have to navigate with is a computer that takes
a full (milli)second to multiply and a telescope that could probably
only sense the horizon it gets a bit harder..  
 Agreed. But at this point in time, navigation algorithms that
 are sufficiently precise can be developed/recreated by (almost)
 anyone with a phd in control theory.  Rocket engine science is
 lots harder, because it is still a (largely) experimental affair. 
True. Despite development over 40 years, witness the recent death
of the Linear Aerospike. Although in fairness, the engine is working
fine, it's the fuel tanks that we still don't know how to build...

-dq