Apollo Guidance Computer Part 24: the restored AGC does Moon landings in front of its creators

Our AGC is restored just in time for the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing. It goes on tour, featured at several celebration events on the East Coast, where it meets some of its original creators. And we fly Apollo 11 Moon landings with it.

Some relevant links:

[wildstar]

Someone needs to get all of those creators of the AGC into a quiet room and record their stories before they and their stories are gone from this earth forever.

[wishusknight]

I wonder if Mike is a person who knows more about these computers than any other person alive on earth. If so he is a national treasure.

[DavidBarkes]

I find it wonderful that I am emotionally moved by this video. It goes beyond geek intrigue and crosses over into the substance of humanity somehow. Thank you.

[Digimer]

As an armchair space nerd, and a random internet person, let me add to compliments and congratulations. You guys are just next level.

[VintageTechFan]

Most old stuff, much of it of historical significance, was just trashed or lost somehow. Those items which survived, are often damned to be rotting away in storage or may be half-lucky to be able to being looked at in museums. But even those are often still non-functional and never to be used again.

This computer was finally allowed to control a moon landing, something which it was actually never going to be used for do back then. It was simulated of course, but it most likely looked exactly like the real thing for it.

I always love it when historic technical equipment is allowed to fulfill its purpose again in some form or another.

[AlainHubert]

Neil would be proud of Mike. If we ever return to the Moon one day, they should pick him as the LEM pilot. I know it's crazy, but I got goose bumps when he landed even though it's just a simulation. Probably subconsciously brought back memories of the real events. Great presentation ! Tremendous work you guys did. 5 layers PCB, and SMT in 1965 ! Wow, those guys were really ahead of their time, they were inventing the future of electronics !

[NeoMorphUK]

And still we have some idiots who say we didn’t go to the moon. Hats off to all these brilliant people who didn’t just create a beautiful spacecraft, they made a work of art that was generations ahead of its time. I can still remember my 8 year old self, plotting the flight path on a full page pullout (from the UK Daily Mirror I think) that my Dad mounted on a piece of hardboard... sat in front of the TV watching history being made. Still give me thrill shudders.

[dahawk]

Absolutely mindboggling what you all pulled off! I'd love to see this put on display at the Computer History Museum. Imagine having it next to the Babbage Engine.

[alanmckinnon]

Amazing work by the whole team, this is techie work on a whole new level ++. And Mike deserves an extra special shout out - every else is an old timer, doing this for years and learned their skills in the 80s (when I learned mine). Mike is a youngster and none of the skills shown in these amazing videos are taught anymore in colleges, not at the level of single gates. Nowadays to learn that stuff, you teach yourself how it works or find a grizzled old mentor who remembers :-) It does my old heart proud to see one of the new generation that are gonna get us to Mars take this 50 year old tech and consider it valuable enough to learn every last detail about it. We just don't find that level of detail and commitment much anymore. Good job Mike.


Oh and if you need assistance with migrating that TouchPad to Arch or Gentoo or something else you build yourself, I can help with that :-D

[rckeith]

NASA don't need to look for a lunar pilot for 2024, Mike's the man. Fantastic work and great to see those legends in such good shape.👍👍👍

[tomservo]

Marc and co. should get a medal for their work and bestowed upon them in a celebration like at the end of a New Hope with the John Williams score blaring.

[JakubYTb]

I have no words to say nor letters to type about how moved by this whole restoration saga I am.

[eddyjay]

This felt to me like watching your favorite team receive the cup after a well fought final. Well done folks!

[mhansl]

Hugh Blair-Smith congratulating you guys... that’s something special.

[StefanWolfrum]

I watched this with tears in my eyes. I cannot find words. I‘m blown away. This is so so so awesome. I‘m so happy that you guys are there to protect and preserve that knowledge and tremendous effort these engineering heroes that are now in their 90s put into the AGC and the whole mission. Thank you all so much. You‘re amazing!!

[larrythorn]

I am glad to see that effort was made to restore an AGC to operational condition! Some day, it will cease to run when some component finally fails in a way that cannot be fixed. It can sit on a museum shelf and collect dust for a very, very long time after that.

[randalltufts]

Young men like you let me know our technological future is in good hands. I cannot thank you enough for all you've done for all those who had a hand in building this magnificent piece of history and to you for bringing it back to life for all of us. Your efforts are appreciated more than you know. I'm so happy for all of you I can't even envy you LoL
Congratulations 🎉 on a job well done.
Enjoy the accolades and cherish it.
You've earned the respect of those men who without which we never would have stepped out onto the surface of the thing we call the 🌕 moon.

[galier]

Merci Marc pour ces merveilleuses images. J'espère que votre travail pour restaurer l'AGC et ce qui va autour permettra aux générations futures de se rendre compte de l'incroyable ingéniosité et de la la quantité de travail qu'a représenté l'aventure de la mission Apollo.
Merci.

[murrij]

22:33 Wow! What a group of awesome. A once in a lifetime bucket of happiness. I'm currently reading Don Eyels' book. So very cool.

[markjmaxwell]

We should never let the equipment and history of this achievement dissappear.
What a giant leap.