This is an HP-41C pocket calculator, manufactured by Hewlett-Packard, that has flown on nine Space Shuttle missions in the 1980s. NASA purchased it from a local store in Houston, and installed special software on it for each mission. Mission critical computing was still done by the Shuttle on-board computers, but pocket calculators found many other uses in space. This calculator could have performed critical re-entry calculations if the main computers failed.
This HP-41C was used by Astronaut Sally Ride and several other astronauts on a total of nine Shuttle missions.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
INSTRUMENTS-Computers, General Purpose
Manufacturer
Hewlett Packard Corporation
Dimensions
3-D: 14.6 × 7.3 × 3.3cm (5 3/4 × 2 7/8 × 1 5/16 in.)
3-D: 20.6 × 11.7 × 2.5cm (8 1/8 × 4 5/8 × 1 in.)
Materials
Plastic
Synthetic Fiber Fabric
Velcro
Copper Alloy
Ferrous Alloy
Ink
Adhesive
Paint
Inventory Number
A19890003000
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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