The Manual Data Keyboard (MDK), manufactured by IBM, consists of a ten-digit keypad. Together with the Manual Data Readout device, it was used to input numbers into the Gemini spacecraft on-board computer. Numbers entered via this unit would select memory addresses in the computer, as well as enter actual numerical data. What the numbers signified was determined by settings on the MDR.
This keyboard was taken from the Gemini 7 spacecraft, which flew in Earth orbit in December 1965, piloted by astronauts Frank Borman and James Lovell, Jr. NASA transferred this MDK to the Museum in 1976.
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-Landing
Manufacturer
IBM Corporation
Dimensions
3-D: 8.6 x 14 x 8.6cm, 0.6kg (3 3/8 x 5 1/2 x 3 3/8 in., 1 3/8lb.)
Materials
Aluminum, Acrylic (Plexiglas), Steel, Cadmium Plating, Plastic, Paint
Inventory Number
A19761884000
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.