More about computer self check

See listJAN 25 196767-FM1-11FM/Deputy Chief, Mission Planning and Analysis DivisionMore about computer self check

If they ever have a contest to select the piece of Apollo with the funniest history, I would like to enter “computer self check”. It came up again at the MIT review on January 12 as a possible candi- date for deletion. One of the MIT guys gave a long, convincing argument in its defense, and although MIT pointed out that approxi- mately two-thirds of the program was not mandatory for flight, they certainly gave the impression it was highly desirable. It was only the next day we found out the actual MIT position was a recommenda- tion to delete most of the self check program, and they were dis- appointed that we had not done so. Weird.

Something else just happened I think you will find amusing. You remember troubles were discovered in the AS-202 self check program and it was deactivated before the flight to prevent it from screwing up the system. Well, I heard the same thing has happened on the AS-204 program. I guess we should be happy they discover these prob- lems before the flights instead of during them. Apparently if the system were left as it is now, it has the potential of bombing out the system irrecoverably. I assume, or at least hope, that if it did that, it would light the little red light.