Apollo Guidance Computer History Project

First conference

July 27, 2001

Astronauts' Role in Design

DAVID MINDELL: What was the role of the astronauts in the design process, and how did the design change, or did the design change and reflect their input?

ELDON HALL: Dave Scott, I think, had the most significant role. He was resident at the lab for a while, and he was interested in the computer. He was the only one I could say that was really interested in the computer. 

As far as his role, the only place that I remember, anyway, where he had the responsibility in it, was in accepting how the DSKY, (the display and keyboard), how -- Like Ray mentioned, the size of the buttons, and the lights, and the intensity of the lights, and human factors tied in. He, in effect, signed off on the DSKY type assembly as approval for the astronauts. But do you know of anything that he actually contributed?

RAMON ALONSO: No. It was here is a box. It does vaguely these things, and this is how you would see the results. Okay, let's move on. There wasn't any further. The question obviously of the digital autopilot was whether that would be inside of the box or not. But in terms of what the computer itself was like, no, except for the displays.

ELDON HALL: Just the interest that he presented was certainly helpful to us.

RAMON ALONSO: And I think it was interesting too -- 

ELDON HALL: Yes, but not quite as much. But McDivitt was there at the same time, but he was more interested in the commercial side of the house, as I remember it. 

RAMON ALONSO: Yes. 

DAVE HOAG: I see it a little different. Very early on there was a series of implementation meetings for the system, first with North American, and ultimately with Grumman. It seems to me that astronauts, when they did not snooze off, which they often did, would also make contributions which would be put in my notes. I would carry my notes back to Cambridge, and somehow these things got done. And I think they were influenced by the astronauts, although I can't, at the moment, give an example.

But there is a sequence of meetings later on you may know about, the data priority, run by Bill Tindall. And there, how the system was used I think was very much influenced by the astronauts.

Meetings with Bill Tindall

site last updated 12-08-2002 by Alexander Brown