Computer, Guidance and Navigation, Apollo

Country of Origin: United States of America

Dimensions:
3-D Test: 61.6 x 39.4 x 14cm (24 1/4 x 15 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.)

Materials:
Exterior - aluminum casing, rubber, plastic covered wire Exterior - plastic switch case

The "Block I" Apollo Guidance Computer represented the initial design by the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory to meet NASA specifications for on-board Guidance, Navigation, and Control needed for a Lunar Mission. It was replaced by a more advanced design, called "Block II," as the Apollo program matured. Block I computers were flown on three unmanned Apollo tests between August 1966 and April 1968.

This computer is an unflown, fully functional unit. It was built by the Raytheon Corporation, and used about 4,000 Integrated Circuits supplied mainly by the Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation. NASA transferred this computer to the Museum in 1972.

Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration