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Virtual
AGC — AGS — LVDC — Gemini
Document Library
Page
Apollo and Gemini Computing Systems
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Here you'll find a collection of all the AGC, AGS, LVDC, and Gemini
spacecraft computer
documentation and
software that I've managed to find whilst working
on Virtual AGC. Every document on this page is archived
here at Virtual AGC, regardless of whether it originated here or not. In
the early days I used to include only material I uncovered by
my own efforts, but there have increasingly been contributions by
readers, including some of the original AGC
developers. And there's material here that has been duplicated
from other Apollo-centric
websites for your convenience; see the FAQ page
for a list of the fine Apollo and Gemini websites I raided. Now, there
is some value-added in this
process, since I add searchable text to those PDFs which are
image-only, as well as adding metadata and bookmark panes where they
don't exist. My
intention is to
eventually provide one-stop-shopping for all of your Apollo
and Gemini computing-system documentation needs. Note however, that I
choose to
duplicate only scanned or photographic images of the original
documents. In other words, I provide something as close to the
"real thing" as I can. On some sites, notably the Apollo Flight
Journal and Apollo Lunar Surface Journal, great pains have been taken
to produce HTML forms of the
documents. I do not
duplicate those improved reformulations here, because that's original
work
for which I think credit is due; so you will have to visit those sites
to use those improved versions.
Document categories
AGC software
manuals
and listings
- Convenient HTML forms of AGC program
listings, with syntax colorization, cross-reference hyperlinks, and (a
little) annotation:
- Or alternately, very
large scanned page images of AGC program listings, if you'd like to see
a crummy, compressed form of what the actual AGC developers saw:
- E-1077:
Preliminary
MOD
3C
Programmers
Manual, by R. Alonso, J. H. Laning,
Jr., and H. Blair-Smith, November 1961. (84 pages, 2.7M
bytes.) This
manual applies to an earlier version of the AGC, but is still very
interesting since it includes topics like the YUL assembler.
- AGC4 Memo # 9 - Block
II Instructions (1966), by Hugh Blair-Smith. This is the source for info on AGC assembly
language. See also pages
30-50,
provided as etext by Hugh Blair-Smith (rather than being scanned) just
for us. Incidentally, I've
taken to calling this the "infamous memo", simply because I think it's
funny, but I notice that
this phrase is being
duplicated across the web. I don't actually know that
there's anything infamous about it, so if you plan to quote me, please
leave out
the word "infamous".
- E-2052:
AGC4
Basic
Training
Manual,
Volume I, by Bernard Savage
and Alice Drake, January 1967. (118 pages, 3.9M bytes.)
- "Users Guide to the
Block II
AGC/LGC Interpreter", by Charles A. Muntz. (1965, 3 Mbytes).
Guidance System
Operations Plans (GSOP)
- AS - 278: R-547: Guidance System Operations Plan
AS-278. AS-278 was a cancelled mission
(because of Apollo 1), which would have been the first orbital test of
the LM. Instead, the same crew provided that first test in Apollo
9, at a much later date.
- Preliminary Lunar Landing Mission GSOP
- Apollo 5 Lunar Module: R-527:
Guidance
System
Operations
Plan
for
Unmanned
LM
Earth Orbital Missions
Using Program Sunburst:
- Apollo 8 & 9
Command Module: R-577:
Guidance
System
Operations
Plan
for
Manned
CM
Earth
Orbital and Lunar Missions Using
Program Colossus 1 (Rev. 237) and Program Colossus 1A (Rev. 249).
Don't
be
fooled
by
the
name
"operations
plan". This is detailed
technical documentation specific to the mentioned versions of Colossus---and of course, Colossus
1A build 249 is the version we
are actually using. The "operation plan" is something like a
"user
manual" for the guidance system (and hence for the AGC as well).
The complete document scan is about 1840 pages (43M bytes), so I've
split it into
smaller chunks for more-sensible downloading.
- Section 1, Rev.
1: "Pre-Launch". (59 pages, 1.5M bytes.)
- Section 2, Rev.
2: "Data Links". (138 pages, 4.5M bytes.)
- Section 3, Rev.
3: "Digital Autopilots". (219 pages, 6.9M bytes.)
- Section 4, Rev. 6: "GNCS Operations":
- Section 5, Rev. 4: "Guidance Equations":
- Section 6, Rev.
1: "Control Data". (102 pages, 2.3M bytes.)
- Apollo 9 & 10 Lunar Module: R-557: Guidance
System Operations Plan for Manned LM Earth Orbital Missions Using
Program Sundance 306, and Program Luminary 069:
- Apollo 13 Lunar
Module: R-567:
Guidance System
Operations Plan for Manned LM Earth Orbital and Lunar Missions Using
Program Luminary 1C (Rev. 131).
The complete document scan is about 2300 pages (45M bytes), so I've
split it into
smaller chunks for more-sensible downloading:
- Section 1, Rev. 1.
(62
pages,
1.7M
bytes.)
Actually,
I
took
this section from
document R-557: Guidance
System Operations Plan for Manned LM Earth Orbital Missions Using
Program Sundance 306, and Program Luminary 069. Refer to
page v of the document for an explanation of this oddity.
Unfortunately, there is presently no way to know if this is the correct revision of this section,
but it was the latest revision I was able to find.
- Section 2, Rev.
8: "Data Links". (146 pages, 4.7M bytes.)
- Section 3, Rev.
4: "Digital Autopilot". (194 pages, 8.0M bytes.)
- Section 4, Rev. 7: "PGNCS Operational Modes."
- Section 5, Rev. 8: "Guidance Equations"
- Section 6:
"Control Data". (84 pages, 1.7M bytes.) Unfortunately,
there is presently no way to know for sure if this is the correct revision of this section,
but it was the only revision I was able to find. The document
specifically refers to spacecraft CM-107 (used on Apollo 11) and LM-6
(used on Apollo 12), so it's not unreasonable to suppose that it is a
fairly mature revision of the document. (Recall that we believe Luminary 1C 131 was used for Apollo
13.)
- Apollo 10 Command
Module: R-577:
Guidance System
Operations Plan for Manned CM Earth Orbital and Lunar Missions Using
Program Colossus 2 (Comanche Rev. 44,45). (Thanks to
original AGC developer Fred Martin!)
- Section 5, Rev. 5: "Guidance Equations".
- Apollo 15-17 Command
Module: R-577:
Guidance System
Operations Plan for Manned CM Earth Orbital and Lunar Missions Using
Program Colossus 3. (Thanks to Shelly Kelly and the crew
at U. H. Clear Lake!) Note that several sections are actually
taken from the Colossus 2E GSOP rather than the Colossus 3 GSOP.
Colossus 3 software was used for Apollo 15-17, while Colossus 2E
software was used for Apollo 14. The GSOP documents were modular,
and so sections from various missions might be mixed-and-matched to
make a complete document, but I don't have a list of the revision
levels appropriate to Colossus 3. So it's possible that the
Colossus 2E sections exactly right; the most I can say right now,
though, is that they're the closest thing we have to Colossus 3 docs.
- Section 1, Rev. 2:
"Pre-Launch" (Colossus 2E, 61 pages, 2.8M bytes.)
- Section 2, Rev.
14: "Data Links". (Colossus 3, 155 pages, 5.6M
bytes.)
- Section 3, Rev. 11:
"Digital Autopilot". (Colossus
2E, 244 pages, 8M bytes.)
- Section 4: "PGNCS Operational Modes".
- Section 5, Rev. 14:
"Guidance Equations". (Colossus
3, 493 pages, 11.3M bytes.)
- Section 6: "Control Data".
- Section 7, Rev. 01:
"Erasable Memory Programs".
(Colossus 3, 98 pages, 2M bytes.)
- Apollo 15-17 Lunar Module: R-567: Guidance System Operations
Plan for Manned LM Earth Orbital and Lunar Missions Using Program
Luminary 1E:
- Apollo/Skylab and/or Apollo/Soyuz: R-693: Guidance
System Operations Plan for Manned CM Earth Orbital Missions Using
Program Skylark 1:
AGC
quick-reference
cards or data cards
- Apollo
15 Colossus 3 CMC Data Cards (36 pages, 1.5M bytes). Same but
for Apollo 15 CM. (Contributed by Fabrizio Bernardini.)
Also, Apollo
15 CMC
data cards. (This is a cleaned up version of the scanned
cards. Thanks,
Fabrizio!)
- Apollo 15
Luminary 1E LGC Data Cards, (42 pages, 8.3M bytes). Same but
for Apollo
15 LM. (Contributed by Fabrizio Bernardini.) Sorry, but
this is a zipfile of JPEGs rather than a PDF file, because that's the
only way I could keep the size even marginally manageable. These
sets of reference cards tend to have funky background colors, and some
colors are easier to scan than others. The JPEGs should be very
readable, but the scans Fabrizio sent me are much better than what I'm
posting (again, for size reasons), so if you need better scans you
should let me know.
- Skylab quick-reference
cards. (36 pages, 1.2M bytes.) The Apollo CM spacecraft
used for the Skylab project ran a program called Skylark on their AGCs. These
quick-reference cards, presumably used for training flight controllers,
packed a lot of info about Skylark
(and indirectly about Colossus
and to a lesser extent Luminary)
in
a
very
concise
package.
- Apollo-Soyuz
quick-reference
cards (38 pages, 1.2M bytes) are the same idea, except that they
were used for the Apollo-Soyuz test project.
AGC pad loads
Space Guidance
Analysis (SGA) memos
If you are interested in the
mathematical underpinnings of the AGC software, then this amazing
series of memos from
MIT's Instrumentation Lab is the place to look. The memos are in
roughly chronological order. It is very interesting to reflect on
the fact that these mathematical memos are often written by the very
same people whose names you find as authors in the software. The
AGC software was written in a time ... or at least a place ... where
software was regarded as the expression of mathematical knowledge as
opposed to being a mere exercise in the expert employment of
programming languages and tools as it is today. It is interesting
also to reflect on the nature of the software this approach produced.
Apollo Experience Reports
- "Flight-Control
Data
Needs,
Terminal
Display
Devices,
and
Ground
System Configuration
Requirements" by Richard A. Hoover.
- Guidance and Control Systems:
- "Automated
Control
System
for
Unmanned
Mission
AS-201" by Gene F. Holloway.
- "Lunar
Module
Abort
Guidance
System" by Pat M. Kurten.
- "Lunar
Module
Mission
Programer" by Jesse A. Vernon.
- "Mission
Control
Programer
for
Unmanned
Missions
AS-202,
Apollo
4, and Apollo 6"
by Gene F. Holloway
- "Primary
Guidance,
Navigation,
and
Control
System
Development", by M. D.
Holley, W. L. Swingle, S. L. Bachman, C. J. LeBlanc, H. T. Howard, and
H. M. Biggs.
- "Onboard
Navigational
and
Alignment
Software" by Robert T. Savely, Bedford
F. Cockrell, and Samuel Pines.
Miscellaneous Guidance & Navigation
These items are alphabetical by
author. (Where the "author" is an organization rather than a
person, I consider the author to be "Anonymous".) These items are
mostly documents are from
our
(improved) archive of the now
sadly defunct AGC website of MIT's Dibner Institute for the History of
Recent Science and Technology. (Yes, there is some duplication
here, but otherwise it becomes all too easy to lose documents because
they're smeared across multiple web-pages.)
- Ramon L. Alonso, Hugh
Blair-Smith, and Albert L. Hopkins, Some Aspects of the
Logical Design of a Control
Computer:
A Case Study (1971).
- Ramon L. Alonso et al., A Digital Control
Computer Developmental Model 1B (1962, 12 Mbytes).
- Ramon L. Alonso and Albert
L.
Hopkins, The Apollo Guidance
Computer (1963, 3 Mbytes).
- Ramon L. Alonso, Albert L.
Hopkins, and Herbert A. Thaler, A Multiprocessing
Structure (1967).
- Ramon L. Alonso and J. Hal
Laning, Design Principles for a
General Control Computer (1960, 4 Mbytes).
- Anonymous, Apollo 15
Electronics manual, by Delco Electronics. This document seems
to have no title, document number, date, or revision, but it is the
most useful source in most respects for information about interfacing
the AGC to the remainder of the guidance system. (Scanned by
Frank O'Brien for the Apollo Flight Journal / Apollo Lunar Surface
Journal websites.)
- Anonymous, Apollo Guidance and
Navigation Lunar Module Student
Study
Guide, by AC Electronics. (1967, 9 Mbytes).
- Anonymous, Guidance
and
Navigation,
July
1965, training slides.
- Anonymous, Guidance
and
Control,
February
1967, training slides.
- Anonymous, Guidance
and Control, September 1967, training slides.
- Anonymous, MSC05225, 71-FS-5: Program
Notes
for
Colossus
3
and
Luminary
1E
J-Series
Missions Flight Programs, Rev. 1, September 1972
(54 pages, 1.5M bytes). Program notes written by the MSC
Simulation and Flight Software Branch. (Contributed by Fabrizio
Bernardini.)
- Anonymous, LEM CES and AGS,
September 1966 (32 pages, 800K bytes). This is a set of block
diagrams and other high-level data concerning the LEM. It is
excerpted from a larger training course by Grumman. (Contributed
by Fabrizio Bernardini.)
- Anonymous, excerpts from LEM
Guidance, Navigation, and Control Subsystem Course No. 30315, 30415,
March
1966
(40
pages,
8M
bytes).
Excerpts
from a Grumman study
guide. (Contributed by Fabrizio Bernardini.)
- Anonymous, beautiful photos of an early
LM control panel (September 1968) and the LMP's panel (Apollo
14). (Contributed by Paul Fjeld.)
- Anonymous, Drawings of LM
structures.
(Contributed by Paul Fjeld.)
- Anonymous, The Apollo 11
Adventure. (247 pages, 8.8M bytes.) A quirkily geekish
retrospective of the Apollo missions through Apollo 11, from the
perspective of the Mission Planning and Analysis Division.
(Digitized by me at the National Archives.)
- Anonymous, Astronauts' Guidance
and Navigation Course Notes (1962, 3 Mbytes).
- Anonymous, More Apollo Guidance
Flexibility Sought (1964).
- Anonymous, Control of Flight
Software Development Costs (1971).
- Anonymous, Apollo/Skylab ASTP and
Shuttle Orbiter Major End Items (1978).
- R. Battin et al., The Compleat Sunrise
being a description of Program
Sunrise
(Sunrise 33 - NASA DWG# 1021102) (1964, 4 Mbytes).
- Hugh Blair-Smith, Annotations
for
Eldon
Hall's
book,
Journey to
the Moon: The History of the Apollo Guidance Computer
(1997). This is an etext created by Mr. Hugh Blair-Smith, rather
than a scan of a historical document.
- Hugh Blair-Smith, YUL System - Pass 0
(4 Mbytes).
- Edward M. Copps Jr., Recovery from Transient
Failures of the Apollo
Guidance
Computer (1968).
- Robert Crisp and D. Keene, Apollo Command and
Service Module Reaction Control by
the
Digital Autopilot (1968).
- C. S. Draper
volunteering to
become an astronaut, and Robert
Seamans
replying (1961).
- C. S. Draper et al., Space Navigation
Guidance and Control. Volume I. (1965, 7 Mbytes).
- C. S. Draper et al., Space Navigation
Guidance and Control. Volume II. (1965, 12 Mbytes).
- Charles M. Duke Jr. and
Michael
S. Jones, Human Performance
during a Simulated Apollo Mid-Course
Navigation
Sighting (1964, 5 Mbytes).
- J. C. Dunbar, R. A. Larson
and
P. T. Augart, An Automated
Documentation Technique for Integrating
Apollo
Crew Procedures and Computer Logic (1966).
- Maxime A. Faget, The Evolution of Flight
Control of the Apollo Mission (1976).
- Philip G. Felleman, Hybrid Simulation of
the Apollo Guidance Navigation
and
Control System (1966).
- F. K. Glick and S. R. Femino, A Comprehensive Digital
Simulation for the
Verification
of Apollo Flight Software (1970).
- Alan Green, Digital Development
Memo #267: Vlock II Keyboard and
Display
Program (1965).
- Alan Green, Keyboard and Display
Program and Operation (1967, 4 Mbytes).
- Alan I. Green and Robert J.
Filene, Keyboard and Display
Program and Operation (1967).
- The Guidance Software
Validation
Committee, Apollo Guidance
Software Development and Validation
Plan (1967).
- Eldon C Hall, The Apollo Guidance
Computer - A Designer's View (1982).
- Eldon C Hall, Case History of the
Apollo Guidance Computer (1966, 3 Mbytes).
- Eldon C Hall, A Case history of the
AGC Integrated Logic Circuits (1965).
- Eldon C Hall, Computer Displays
(1962).
- Eldon C Hall, From the Farm to
Pioneering with Digital Computers: An
Autobiography (2000).
- Eldon C Hall, General Design
Characteristics of the Apollo Guidance
Computer (1963, 3 Mbytes).
- Eldon C Hall, MIT's Role in Project
Apollo, Vol. III: Computer
Subsystem (1972, 11 Mbytes).
- Eldon C Hall, Reliability History of
the Apollo Guidance Computer (1972).
- Eldon C Hall and Richard
Jansson, Miniature Packaging of
Electronics in
Three-Dimensional
Form (1959, 5 Mbytes).
- James A. Hand, Computer-Aided Inertial
Platform Realignment in Manned
Space
Flight (1968, 31 Mbytes).
- James A. Hand, MIT's Role in Project
Apollo, Vol. I: Project Management,
Systems Development, Abstracts and Bibliography (1971, 13 Mbytes).
- David L. Hanley, Jayne
Partridge, and Eldon C. Hall, The Application of
Failure Analysis in Procuring and
Screening
of Integrated Circuits (1965, 3 Mbytes).
- W. G. Heffron, Bellcomm memorandum, "S/C 101 Software
First Article Configuration Inspection", Sundisk software.
- David G. Hoag, Apollo Navigation,
Guidance, and Control Systems: A
Progress
Report (1969, 4 Mbytes).
- David G. Hoag, The History of Apollo
On Board Guidance and Navigation (1976).
- David G. Hoag, LEM Guidance Computer
Programs to be Supplied by MIT (1965).
- C. Lester Hogan, "Types of Integrated
Circuits" (1964) [Magazine Article].
- M. D. Holley, W. L. Swingle, S. L. Bachman, C. J. LeBlanc, H. T.
Howard, and H. M. Biggs, "Apollo
Experience Report—Guidance and Control Systems: Primary Guidance,
Navigation, and Control System Development", NASA Technical Note
D-8227.
- Richard A. Hoover, "Apollo
Experience
Report—Flight-Control
Data
Needs,
Terminal
Display
Devices,
and
Ground System Configuration Requirements", NASA Technical Note
D-7685.
- Albert L. Hopkins Jr., Ramon Alonso, and Hugh Blair-Smith, "Logical
Description for the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC4)"
(1963, 10 Mbytes) [Report].
- Albert L. Hopkins, "A Fault-Tolerant
Information Processing Concept for Space Vehicles." (1970) [Report].
- Madeline S. Johnson, "A
list of titles and authors", MSJ Memo #7-69. I deduce from
this numbering scheme that Madeline must have written a lot of memos. :)
- Madeline S. Johnson and Donald R. Giller, "MIT's
Role in Project Apollo, Vol. V: The Software Effort." (1971, 30
Mbytes) [Report].
- Malcolm W Johnston, "A
Manual LEM Backup Guidance System." (1964) [Report].
- David N. Kaye, "The Indispensible Men"
(1969)
[Magazine
Article].
- W. M. Keese et al., "Management
Procedures in Computer Programming for Apollo - Interim Report"
(1964)
[Report].
- Allan R. Klumpp, "A Manually Retargeted
Automatic Descent and Landing System for LEM" (1966, 3 Mbytes)
[Report].
- J. Hal Laning and N. Zierler, "A
Program for Translation of Mathematical Equations for Whirlwind I."
(1954)
[Report].
- T. J. Lawton and C. J. Muntz, "Organization
of Computation and Control in the Apollo Guidance Computer" (1965)
[Report].
- Stuard D. Lenett, "Apollo
Digital
Up-Data
Link
Description", NASA Technical Memorandum
TM-X-1146.
- Frederick H. Martin and Richard H. Battin, "Computer
Controlled Steering of the Apollo Spacecraft" (1967) [Report].
- Frederick H. Martin and Richard H. Battin, "Computer-Controlled
Steering of the Apollo Spacecraft," Spacecraft, 5
(1968, 4 Mbytes), 400 - 407.
- J. McNeil, J. E. Miller and J. Sitomer, "Use
of Body Mounted Inertial Sensors in an Apollo Guidance, Navigation and
Control
System" (1966, 4 Mbytes) [Report].
- John E. Miller and Ain Laats, "Apollo
Guidance and Control System Flight Experience." (1969) [Report].
- George Mueller, "Final Report: Apollo
Guidance Software Task Force" (1968) [Report].
- J. V. Mutchler, "Apollo CMC/LGC Software
Development Plan" (1968, 3 Mbytes) [Report].
- J. L. Nevins, "Man-Machine Design for
the Apollo Navigation, Guidance and Control System." (1967, 21
Mbytes) [Manuscript].
- J. L. Nevins and I. S. Johnson, "Man-Computer
Interface for the Apollo Guidance, Navigation and Control System"
(1967, 9 Mbytes)
[Report].
- J. L. Nevins, I. S. Johnson and T. B. Sheridan, "Man/Machine
Allocation in the Apollo Navigation, Guidance,
and Control System" (1968, 24 Mbytes) [Report].
- J. L. Nevins, E. A. Woodin and R. W. Metzinger, "Man-Machine
Simulations for the Apollo Navigation, Guidance,
and Control System." (1967, 3 Mbytes) [Report].
- James L. Nevins, "Man-Machine Design for
the Apollo Navigation, Guidance, and Control System--Revisited: Apollo,
A Transition in the Art of Piloting a Vehicle." (1970, 3 Mbytes)
[Report].
- Robert N Noyce, "Integrated Circuits in
Military Equipment" (1964) [Magazine Article].
- Jayne Partridge, L David Hanley and Eldon C. Hall, "Progress
Report on Attainable Reliability of Integrated
Circuits for Systems Application" (1964, 5 Mbytes) [Report].
- J. C. Pennypacker, "Whole Number Strapdown
Computations" (1966, 3 Mbytes) [Report].
- Daniel Rankin, A Model of the Cost of
Software Development for the Apollo Spacecraft Computer (1972,
5 Mbytes) [SM dissertation, MIT].
- Robert T. Savely, Bedford F. Cockrell, and Samual Pines, "Apollo
Experience
Report—Onboard
Navigational
and
Alignment
Software",
NASA Technical Note D-6741.
- Norman E. Sears, "Technical Development
Status of Apollo Guidance and Navigation" (1964, 3 Mbytes) [Report].
- Edwin D. Smally, "Block II AGC Self-Check
and Show-Banksum" (1966) [Report].
- Raymond D. Speer, "Strict Control Kept Out
Semiconductor Flaws" (1969) [Magazine Article].
- Madeline M. Sullivan, "Hybrid
Simulation of the Apollo Guidance and Navigation System" (1965, 3
Mbytes) [Report].
- B. K. Thomas, "Apollo 8 Proves Value
of Onboard
Control" (1969, 3 Mbytes) [Magazine Article].
- Milton B. Trageser and David G. Hoag, "Apollo
Spacecraft Guidance System" (1965, 25 Mbytes) [Report].
Abort Guidance System (AGS)
and its computer (AEA)
As inadequate as our AGC documentation
collection is, our AGS documentation collection lags far behind.
All of the available documentation was digitized by John Pultorak from
physical documents preserved and donated by Davis Peticolas.
- "LM/AGS Design Survey"
- Just the block
diagram of
the AEA. (Actually, John had to outlay money
for this, as it's not one of Davis's docs, so we have additional cause
to thank him. He also tells us it's the best AEA architecture
diagram he has seen.)
-
Flight Program 8 -- LM
AGS FP8 S03 4039, LM Abort Electronics
Assembly, 12/18/70, 6325 lines. Complete
assembly language
listing.
- LM/AGS Operating
Manual, Flight Program 6, 11176-6033-T000,
Revision 1, TRW, July 1969, 194 pages, 36.1M bytes.
- LM
AGS Computer Program Specification, Flight
Program 6,
11176-6042-T000, TRW, March 1969, 90 pages, 14M bytes.
- Memo: Tables and Flow
Charts for Preliminary Release of FP8, C.
G. Gibson, TRW, 5 January 1971, 2.1M bytes.
- Abort
Electronic Assembly Programming Reference, H. L.
Stiverson, 7322.3-17, April 1966, 77 pages, 14.6M bytes. This
document is the principle (and almost complete) reference for
understanding the operation of the AEA CPU per se, the AEA assembly language
and assembler, and the operation of the CPU's i/o ports. There
are, however, some confusing aspects to the document:
- Perhaps the
most confusing thing is that while the portion of the document that
covers the LEMAP assembler makes it clear that the integer -1 would be
encoded in octal as 0777777 (as anyone working with a modern PC would
expect), the portion of the document that covers assembly language
repeatedly refers to the octal 0400000 as being "-1". (More
specifically, the reference on these occasions is to "A0 = 1, A1 thru
A17 = 0", where A0 is the sign bit and A1-A17 are the data bits.)
In fact, this octal pattern encodes the "largest" 18-bit negative
number, namely -131072. In this detail, the assembly-language
portion of the manual is thus incorrect.
- Perhaps the most serious omission is that the explanation of
division (the DVP
instruction) in the case where the dividend and/or divisor is negative
is completely lacking and (in the absence of this explanation) I've
never figured out satisfactorily how it is supposed to work
- LM AGS, Programmed Equations Document, Flight Program 6,
11176-6041-T0-00, TRW, 1969 April. Because of the size, we
provide this in 2 chunks:
- Program
Verification
Test
Results,
LM/AGS
Flight
Program
No.
6,
11176-6050-T000, E. V. Avery, TRW, Redondo Beach CA, May 1969, 49
pages, 13.8M bytes.
- LM AGS Guidance
Software, Final Design Report, Flight Program 6,
11176-6052-T0-00, TRW, Redondo Beach CA, April 1969, 10 pages, 1.3M
bytes.
- LM AGS Flight
Equations, 05952-6076-T000,
T. S. Bettwy, TRW, 25 January, 1967, 117 pages, 20M bytes.
- LM/AGS Flight
Program 6, LM 5 Mission Constants,
11176-6055-R0-00, C. J. Mabee, TRW, Redondo Beach CA, June 1969, 25
pages, 3.2M bytes.
- LM/Abort Guidance
System, Performance and Interface
Specifications Document, Preliminary, July 1, 1966, 345 pages (not
numbered), 46.2M bytes.
- User's Guide
for AGS Bit-by-Bit Simulator, Bulletin
672-21-EAS-208, K. B. Robertson, Lockheed, Houston TX, August 1968, 67
pages, 12M bytes.
- LEM CES and AGS,
Grumman,
September
1966,
32
pages,
800K
bytes.
(I think this is
available elsewhere on the web, but it's a different scan.)
- "Apollo
Experience
Report—Guidance
and
Control
Systems:
Lunar
Module
Abort
Guidance System" by Pat M. Kurten, NASA Technical Note D-7990.
Launch Vehicle Digital Computer (LVDC)
We have precious little LVDC
documentation of any kind, and no LVDC software at all. The
Wikipedia article on the LVDC laments that all of the LVDC software has
probably vanished and does not exist any longer. Well, I don't
believe that. (They're smart enough to send a man to the moon,
but too stupid to put the documents in a file cabinet afterward?
I hope not!) There must be some former LVDC developer somewhere
who was proud enough of his work to retain some souvenirs. If you
know any
LVDC developers, please help us to get in contact with them.
- Laboratory Maintenance
Instructions for LVDC. While the title of this document is
undoubtedly correct from the standpoint of IBM (the corporate author),
the document is more usefully viewed as a complete explanation of the
theory of operation of the LVDC, albeit of a very early breadboard
version.
- IBM 63-928-137, Saturn
V
Guidance
Computer,
Semiannual
Progress
Report. This sounds
like a managerial thing, but is actually is a huge technical document.
- MSFC IV-4-401-1, Astrionic
System
Handbook,
Saturn
Launch
Vehicles. Chapter 11 is
particular relevant to the LVDC, as it discusses the flight software in
some detail. Sadly, it does not show any actual sample snippets
of LVDC software.
- MTP-ASTR-S-63-15 Saturn
IB/V
Astrionics
System.
- Bellcomm memo, "Memory
Requirements for the Launch Vehicle Digital Computer (LVDC)" by J.
J. Rocchio.
- Bellcomm memo, "Launch
Vehicle Digital Computer (LVDC) Requirements for the Apollo
Applications Program" by J. J. Rocchio.
- MSFC III-5-509 Saturn 1B/V
Instrument Unit System Description and Component Data:
- NASA Technical Note D-5869, "Description and Performance
of the Saturn Launch Vehicle's Navigation, Guidance, and Control System"
by
Walter
Haeussermann.
- Boeing document, "Saturn V
Launch Vehicle Guidance Equations, SA-504".
- MTP-AERO-63-64, "An
Iterative
Guidance
Scheme
for
Ascent
to
Orbit
(Suborbital Start of the
Third Stage" by Isaac E. Smith and Emsley T. Deaton, Jr.
- NASA Technical Note D-2967, "Application
of
an
Iterative
Guidance
Mode
to
a
Lunar Landing" by Helmut J. Horn.
- Here's a set of short documents contributed by Eldon Hall to
klabs.org, providing a comparison of the (proposed) AGC to the
(proposed) LVDC, and pertaining to the notion of replacing the AGC by
the LVDC in the CM and LM. I suppose these documents may be
interesting in a historic sense, and in some cases are mildly amusing,
but they are interesting to me principally because some of the
documents are very rich in technical information about the LVDC.
- MSFC-MAN-206, Skylab Saturn IB Flight Manual.
- MSFC-MAN-503, Saturn
Flight Manual, SA-503.
- S&E-ASTR-S-101-69, Technical
Information
Summary,
Apollo-11
(AS-506).
- MSFC-MAN-507, Saturn V
Flight Manual, SA-507.
- NASA Technical Memorandum X-53384, "The
Astrionics
System
of
Saturn
Launch
Vehicles" by Rudolf Decher.
- IBM Saturn
Instrument Unit Fact Sheet.
- NASA Technical Memorandum X-53350, "Saturn
Instrument
Unit
Command
System" by H. R. Lowery.
- NASA Technical Note TN D-4481, "Saturn
V
Manual
Backup
Guidance
and
Control
Piloted
Simulation Study".
- NASA Technical Memorandum, "Report
on
Digital
Computers
Used
in
Automatic
Checkout" by B. Funderburk.
- NASA Technical Memorandum X-53274, "Techniques
of
Implementing
Launch
Automation
Programs
(Saturn
IB
Space Vehicle
System)" by William G. Bodie.
- NASA Technical Memorandum X-53398, "Saturn
I
Block
II
Guidance
Summary
Report" by R. A. Chapman.
- TR-612, Saturn
IB
and
Saturn
V
Computer
Programs,
Software
Status Report.
- NASA SP-4206, Stages to Saturn by
Roger E. Bilstein. This is actually a book in the NASA History
Series, so it isn't as technical, but is full of all sorts of
contextual detail that is missing from the technical documents.
- RCA 110A (Saturn
ground computer) Mathematical Subroutine Manual. Dimitri
Marinakis (thanks Dimitri!) sent me this. The ground computer
which which the LVDC cooperated was an RCA 110A. "Mathematical
Subroutine Manual" sounds very exciting until you find that it means
"multiplication", "division", "cosine", "sine", etc. It is still
an interesting document, in the sense that it reveals what life was
like for the computer programmer in that time-frame. These
algorithms are each accompanied by RCA 110A assembly language showing
exactly how they were implemented, and give the full theory for each
method, duly written up as if the description was a mechanical drawing,
with a proper page border appropriate to such a drawing, and
accompanied by notations such as the units, scale, and tolerance of the
drawing! I've chosen to provide it only as a tarball of JPEG page
images rather than to convert it to a PDF (which would take twice the
storage), and I hope nobody minds that.
Systems Handbooks
- Lunar Module
Systems Handbook:
- Excerpts from LM-5 through LM-9,
June 1969 (13 pages, 29M bytes). This is a large download because
it consists of beautiful hi-res scans of very large schematic
foldouts.
(Contributed by Paul Fjeld.)
- Excerpts from Apollo 17 (3
pages 5M bytes). Sadly, these
scans are not of the highest quality. If you seek general
information rather than Apollo 17 specific information, I'd suggest the
item above or the item below instead. (Contributed by Fabrizio
Bernardini.)
- Command and
Service Module Systems Handbook:
- Excerpt: Guidance & navigation section for handbook
of CSM 112
through
114,
March 12, 1971 (29 pages, 20M bytes).
(Contributed by Fabrizio Bernardini.)
Operations Handbooks
- Apollo
Operations
Handbook,
Command
and
Service
Module,
Spacecraft
012.
(This was the Block 1 spacecraft for Apollo 1.)
- Apollo Operations Handbook,
Block II Spacecraft:
- Volume 1:
- Alternate excerpts.
(Contributed by Fabrizio Bernardini.)
- LMA790-3-LM, Apollo Operations
Handbook, Lunar Module:
- Volume
1 (LM 10 and subsequent), "Subsystems Data"
- Volume
2 (LM 11 and subsequent), "Operational Procedures"
- Alternate excerpts.
(Contributed by Fabrizio Bernardini.)
- Lighting tables.
(2
pages,
2.1M
bytes.)
Tables
from
the
ops handbook describing
colors, brightnesses, etc., for the Apollo spacecraft interior and
exterior lighting. (Contributed by Paul Fjeld.)
Operational Data Books
- "G", "H", and "J" missions: CSM/LM
Spacecraft
Operational
Data
Book:
Technical Crew Debriefings
Mission Reports
Flight Plans
Checklists
Familiarization Manuals
General Apollo documents unrelated to
computing systems
Press Kits and Releases
Miscellaneous
Gemini spacecraft computer
- Project Gemini Familiarization
Manual, contributed by Adam Bootle to the Meadville Space Center
website. As far as the onboard computer is concerned, it is
Section VIII that is relevant. The links at Meadville indicate
that Volume 1 is for spacecraft GT-3, GT-4, and GT-7, while Volume 2 is
for GT-5, GT-6, and GT-8 through GT-12. If you are only going to
look at one of them, look at Volume 2 Section VIII.
- "Gemini
Catch-Up
and
Rendezvous
Analysis
and
Simulation
Report #4",
contributed by Gene Mertz and scanned by Dave Mertz. This
"report" actually contains the full source code for the mixed FORTRAN
II and IBM 7090/7094 assembly language program
that was used to verify algorithms and simulate flight-computer
behavior for the Catch-Up and Rendezvous flight phases.
Therefore, although it is not flight software per se, it is presently the closest
thing we have to Gemini flight software. There are also 5
fold-out
flowcharts which are split into multiple pages in the PDF, which I've
pulled out, deskewed, rescaled, and rejoined. They're not
perfect, but they're a little easier to read than the pages in the PDF
file:
- Here are some
supplemental non-Gemini documents (mostly from the Computer
History
Museum) which may be of assistance in understanding the
FORTRAN dialect, the assembly language, and the operating system under
which the simulation program from Report #4 above ran. At any
rate, I found them useful in porting the code to make it portable to
more up-to-date computers.
- Gemini Operations Handbook
- Spacecraft
7,
Sections
2.5.2-2.5.7. This is something like a user manual
for the Gemini computer. Contributed by Dr. Lance Erickson to
Meadville.
- Spacecraft 10, Sections
3.8.1. This is the command set for the Agena target vehicle
(ATV), and nothing to do with the Gemini computer per se.
Contributed by John Bisney to Meadville.
- Gemini Mission Reports:
- Gemini
V
Supplemental
Report
6, "Inertial
Guidance
System
and Computer Analysis".
- Gemini 7/6
Supplemental Report 5, "Gemini GT-6A Post Flight Analysis Report,
Gemini GT-6 Rendezvous and Catch-Up Post Flight Report, and GT-7/6
Re-Entry Mission Reconstruction Report".
Last modified by Ronald Burkey on 2010-09-05.
