Properties of a Pocket Calculator for Astronauts

[teenix]

(09-06-2019 02:08 PM)toml_12953 Wrote:  Yes, they could compute trajectories with the HP but an on-board computer actually controlled the angles of the thruster nozzles. The control handle wasn't mechanically linked to the nozzles. All it did was send a signal to the computer which then activated the servos to rotate the thruster gimbals. The crew couldn't change the direction of the thrust manually. Without at least one working on-board computer, they couldn't use the results from the handheld calculator. It's like modern transmission dials on cars that are replacing levers. You're not actually changing the gear ratios directly by turning a dial. The computer monitors the position of the dial and sends a signal to the transmission components to do that.

Just wondering if that changed with later Apollo missions.

A poor lens to look through at history I know, but the Apollo 13 movie showed the astronauts having to do a corridor burn manually with the computer powered down. I didn't see them grabbing for the HP's though :-) Hollywood fantasy maybe?

cheers

Tony