Earth Rise - Apollo 8

[boedicca]

50 years ago today: Apollo 8's Earth Rise shot

Beautiful.

Apollo 8’s Earthrise: The Shot Seen Round the World

 

[percysunshine]

50 years ago today: Apollo 8's Earth Rise shot

View attachment 236034

Beautiful.

Apollo 8’s Earthrise: The Shot Seen Round the World

If I were, like, an alien living on the moon...I would upgrade to Earth..in a second.

 

[boedicca]

50 years ago today: Apollo 8's Earth Rise shot

View attachment 236034

Beautiful.

Apollo 8’s Earthrise: The Shot Seen Round the World

If I were, like, an alien living on the moon...I would upgrade to Earth..in a second.

I really love that the 50th anniversary is on the Winter Solstice. It's fitting.

 

[harmonica]

not much computer power in the Apollos--I think I read in a history of Apollo they had about 16Kbs?

Indeed, those Big Machines were nothing short of amazing. Comparing the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) to an IBM PC XT. Did you know that the 8088 which formed the basis for the IBM PC, released in 1981, just a decade after Apollo 11’s trip to the Moon, had eight times more memory than Apollo’s Guidance Computer (16k, vs the Apollo’s 2k).

It turns out that’s a tough comparison to make, as the simplest of iPhones is so advanced compared to the technology used in Apollo’s guidance system that it’s hard to believe they both came from the same planet, and we can be pretty sure that we’re dealing with some really archaic hardware.

How Powerful Was the Apollo 11 Computer? | iGotOffer

 

[miketx]

And the rocket engine had no ignition system, relying on hypergolic fuel to guarantee it would fire.

 

[anotherlife]

not much computer power in the Apollos--I think I read in a history of Apollo they had about 16Kbs?

Indeed, those Big Machines were nothing short of amazing. Comparing the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) to an IBM PC XT. Did you know that the 8088 which formed the basis for the IBM PC, released in 1981, just a decade after Apollo 11’s trip to the Moon, had eight times more memory than Apollo’s Guidance Computer (16k, vs the Apollo’s 2k).

It turns out that’s a tough comparison to make, as the simplest of iPhones is so advanced compared to the technology used in Apollo’s guidance system that it’s hard to believe they both came from the same planet, and we can be pretty sure that we’re dealing with some really archaic hardware.

How Powerful Was the Apollo 11 Computer? | iGotOffer

Amazing isn't it? And with 16K, you can do not only this, but also oversee your entire program and debug it fully. Today, software development knows no such thing as fully debugged, but only verification coverage probabilities. Hmmm.

 

[boedicca]

not much computer power in the Apollos--I think I read in a history of Apollo they had about 16Kbs?

Indeed, those Big Machines were nothing short of amazing. Comparing the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) to an IBM PC XT. Did you know that the 8088 which formed the basis for the IBM PC, released in 1981, just a decade after Apollo 11’s trip to the Moon, had eight times more memory than Apollo’s Guidance Computer (16k, vs the Apollo’s 2k).

It turns out that’s a tough comparison to make, as the simplest of iPhones is so advanced compared to the technology used in Apollo’s guidance system that it’s hard to believe they both came from the same planet, and we can be pretty sure that we’re dealing with some really archaic hardware.

How Powerful Was the Apollo 11 Computer? | iGotOffer

Yep. Amazing what they could do with something less powerful than a watch today.

Back then we also built stuff that wasn't crap.

 

[harmonica]

what is it? 8 moon trips and no fatalities ??
6 landings?
this is amazing also