It’s becoming evident that we are entering a new epoch regarding development of spacecraft computer programs, and I thought I’d try to put my impression relating to this into words and get them out in the open….
Category: AS-204 (Apollo 1)
Automatic rendezvous braking maneuver
As you know, MIT is currently designing the command module and lunar module computer programs without provision for automatic braking maneuvers. There has been some thought to reversing this direction. However, Don Cheatham, Aaron Cohen, and I agreed today to proceed as we are for the AS-207/208 programs–that is, do not provide automatic braking maneuvers…
Program interlocks – fairwell
Ever since I’ve been involved with these spacecraft computer programs there has been an awful lot of flak regarding the program interlocks. Specifically, in the AS-204 program, there is a “Verb 37 Table” which prohibits the astronaut from calling up certain programs out of sequence. Constraints of this nature have been labeled intolerable, not only…