NASA HP-41 Flight Procedures Handbook

[Amy Collins]

(04-28-2022 08:12 PM)Gene Dorr Wrote:  In my quest to learn more about the HP-65s that were carried on the ASTP flight, I ran across the "HP-41 Flight Procedures Handbook" for STS (Shuttle). I noticed that this has been mentioned in various threads here over the decades, but never actually surfaced ... so here it is, available (for now) to download from my "HP-65 in Space" page.

Thank you, Gene!
To help solve the debates about the HP-41CV in space, I can accurately make a statement that that multiple HP-41CV's were flown on every Space Shuttle Mission STS-1 (April 1981) through STS-44 (November 1991) inclusive and including the controlled mode DoD missions, and that the latest observed in-cabin usage of HP-41CV's was by Vance Brand on STS-35 (December 1990).

I think the confusion about which programs were loaded onto each HP-41 is a result of SPOC (SPace Operations Computer) or GRiD Compass "inheriting" certain duties as the generations of these machines were upgraded. The HP-41 programs were reduced to carrying only those that were flight critical backups. (Deorbit, Cabin Leak, CG)

The full mainfest of calculators and laptops such as SPOC can be found in each mission's "Flight Data File Reference Data Flight Suppliment" JSC-48042-X as well as the logic/keypress charts as seen in the document you found.

The HP-48's were flown from STS-42 (January 1992) onward until at least the time of the STS-107 Columbia accident in 2003. During the program recovery time the Thinkpad A31p PGSC's were introduced, and calculators were no longer listed in the manifest.

More to come...