mcp@sei.cmu.edu (Mark Paulk) (12/21/90)
Some time ago I followed a discussion on the net that went something like...
HP gave some astronauts calculators as a PR gimmick.
They included a simple orbital calculation program.
The calculators were more powerful than the onboard Shuttle computers,
so the astronauts started carrying them into space as unofficial backups.
NASA eventually started issuing calculators as offical issue.
I mentioned this to someone, who was interested and asked to where I
heard it. I've been trying to track the discussion down (I thought it
was on comp.risks, but no luck finding it in the archives). Did anyone
save this thread? Would you e-mail it to me?
--
Mark C. Paulk mcp@sei.cmu.edu
"Maturity is a function of scar tissue."frank@grep.co.uk (Frank Wales) (01/03/91)
[I've directed follow-ups to comp.sys.handhelds.] In article <9809@as0c.sei.cmu.edu> mcp@sei.cmu.edu (Mark Paulk) writes: >HP gave some astronauts calculators as a PR gimmick. >They included a simple orbital calculation program. >The calculators were more powerful than the onboard Shuttle computers, >so the astronauts started carrying them into space as unofficial backups. >NASA eventually started issuing calculators as offical issue. This is a somewhat unlikely story based on actual facts. :-) For example, it's hardly likely that HP could write software for NASA as a PR gimmick that was better than that already in use for the flights. But anyway... According to the Jan-Apr 1981 issue of HP Key Notes, the first flight of Columbia had two HP-41Cs on board, each dedicated to performing a particular task: + "Acquisition of Signal", which ran continually from launch, displaying the name of the next available ground station, when it would be in contact, for how long, and which frequency it used; and + "Center of Gravity", which was used to balance the shuttle's fuel distribution before re-entry, and was termed flight-critical by NASA. The article implies that NASA was the prime mover in getting the calculators on board, and held comparative trials between different models before deciding on the HP-41, mainly for its large memory capacity and alphanumeric display. All the software was written by NASA. The March-May 1982 issue contains further information, including the statement that the two machines used on board Columbia were purchased by NASA over the counter in Houston. By that time, their use had expanded somewhat: one was still running the AoS program; the other was being used as an electronic secretary, reminding the astronauts of chores with alarms and messages, in addition to being available to compute de-orbit burns, run the CoG program, and pin-point Earth observation sites. -- Frank Wales, Grep Limited, [frank@grep.co.uk<->uunet!grep!frank] Kirkfields Business Centre, Kirk Lane, LEEDS, UK, LS19 7LX. (+44) 532 500303