The HP-65 was the first magnetic card programmable handheld scientific calculator. The Hewlett Packard Corporation introduced it in 1974. The HP-65 kit included a pack of narrow magnetic cards that could be inserted into a reader under the display screen to load or save programs. NASA chose the HP-65 for use on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project flight in 1975, for which it was programmed with rendezvous and guidance equations as a backup in case the main Apollo Guidance Computer failed. This specimen may have been retained or acquired by NASA for later use, but by the time the Space Shuttle began flying in 1981, more advanced versions of this calculator were available.
NASA transferred this device to the Museum with a variety of crew equipment when the Space Shuttle program ended in 2012.
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
EQUIPMENT-Electronics
Manufacturer
Hewlett Packard Corporation
Dimensions
3-D (Calculator): 15.2 x 7.6 x 3.8cm (6 x 3 x 1 1/2 in.)
Materials
Beta-cloth, Velcro, plastics, paper, circuitry
Inventory Number
A20120307000
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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