Old Whatshisname  Wrote: (07-20-2019 12:30 AM)

Natura Naturans  Wrote: (07-20-2019 12:17 AM)

So just how did the do that complicated docking above the moon with slide rules? Calculating orbits that they probably couldn't know accurately. Hard to do with up to date tech, let alone flying in the dark with slide rules.

Not at all. The whole thing was figured out by some 23-year old college kid on vacation (although he had to invent calculus in order to do it).

Looks kinda like some 80's rock star, doesn't he?

link to image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c...n-1689.jpg

NASA used (mostly black) women to calculate trajectories by hand in the 1960s. As depicted in the movie Hidden Figures, John Glenn asked "the girl" Katherine Johnson to check the numbers before he would go into orbit.

LoP Guest  Wrote: (07-20-2019 01:11 AM)

Old Whatshisname  Wrote: (07-20-2019 12:30 AM)

Not at all. The whole thing was figured out by some 23-year old college kid on vacation (although he had to invent calculus in order to do it).

Looks kinda like some 80's rock star, doesn't he?

link to image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c...n-1689.jpg

NASA used (mostly black) women to calculate trajectories by hand in the 1960s. As depicted in the movie Hidden Figures, John Glenn asked "the girl" Katherine Johnson to check the numbers before he would go into orbit.

As depicted in the movie Hidden Figures, John Glenn asked "the girl" Katherine Johnson to make him a cup of tea.

LoP Guest  Wrote: (07-20-2019 01:11 AM)

Old Whatshisname  Wrote: (07-20-2019 12:30 AM)

Not at all. The whole thing was figured out by some 23-year old college kid on vacation (although he had to invent calculus in order to do it).

Looks kinda like some 80's rock star, doesn't he?

link to image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c...n-1689.jpg

NASA used (mostly black) women to calculate trajectories by hand in the 1960s. As depicted in the movie Hidden Figures, John Glenn asked "the girl" Katherine Johnson to check the numbers before he would go into orbit.

Wonder what he did up there on the Moon when he needed to calculate how to dock with the command module. The "girl" wasn't with him and there was no way Houston would know just where and how fast the command module was. The Russians and Chinese must have been laughing all over themselves thinking how the Americans bought this story hook line and sinker.

Old Whatshisname  Wrote: (07-19-2019 10:54 PM)

I was 24 years old at the time, working second shift with Sly and Bernie as mainframe operators at the IBM-Federal Systems Division computer center in Gaithersburg, Maryland. We were the prime contractor to NASA for ground-based computer systems on all the manned programs: Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and ASTP.

The three of us managed somehow to have the entire weekend of Apollo 11 off and saw just about every hour of it in real time over at Bernie's apartment. I remember we cheered when the Saturn V lifted; and sweated when Armstrong and Aldrin landed (and also when the lunar ascent vehicle -- which had never been tested -- took off. Finally, after the communications blackout at re-entry and we saw those three orange parachutes, we all three burst into tears.

If you aren't of an age to remember it, I don't think you could ever understand what most of the people around the Earth felt that week.

But how short-lived it was! Within five years, the manned missions were over, with the powers-that-be telling us that it was better to fight two wars -- in Asia and against "poverty", both of which we lost -- than to continue to the stars.

NASA squandered what little funds they had in building a series of overpriced and worthless flying buses which, when they weren't killing their crew and passengers, were taking mankind absolutely nowhere.

And what are we doing now? Re-building oversized and overpriced Apollo capsules which "may" return to the moon: and no one seems to care. Americans have lost their will, the Russians have lost their money, the Europeans never really cared, and only the Chinese have any real interest, much of which is the same political one-upmanship we and the Soviets used to flog our respective projects.

I think the sentence which best tells America's story regarding space exploration was voiced by Marlon Brando in the movie On the Waterfront:

"I coulda been a contender!"

I think why we are so stalled in this area is that we as a world people aren't putting our money where our space exploration goals are.

Actually, I think right now, the main focus should be engineering and building long term self contained biospheres... here on earth. More than one. By self contained, I mean isolated from chemical and biological contaminants, and with the necessary equipment to survive/scrub noxious gasses like high concentrations of CO2 and NO2. By long term, I mean the planning/ability to last 10k years or more....

Isabella  Wrote: (07-20-2019 12:57 AM)

Perhaps because "October Sky'' is based on a real memoir, Homer Hickam's Rocket Boys, it doesn't simplify the father into a bad guy or a tyrant. He understandably wants his son to follow in his footsteps, and one of the best elements of the movie is in breaking free, he is respecting his father. This movie has deep values.

Sounds wonderful, Isabella. Never seen it; never heard of it; but I'm going to rent it!

2newb4u  Wrote: (07-20-2019 01:26 AM)

Actually, I think right now, the main focus should be engineering and building long term self contained biospheres... here on earth. More than one. By self contained, I mean isolated from chemical and biological contaminants, and with the necessary equipment to survive/scrub noxious gasses like high concentrations of CO2 and NO2. By long term, I mean the planning/ability to last 10k years or more....

When I lived back in AZ, we were only about a hundred miles from the famous (or infamous) Biosphere 2. It had such great potential, and you're right; we should be putting more money into things like that.

Old Whatshisname  Wrote: (07-19-2019 11:41 PM)

Mr ifnoc nli  Wrote: (07-19-2019 11:19 PM)

You gotta post a pic of you 3 nerds, or something. You know it will be asked. Like standing next to a building full of what can now be done in a small room? I'm s9me what familiar with early IBMs, I fixed a few. Nerdery Behemoths! I was -2ish years old, so can't imagine the crazy involved.
Probably makes babysitting we ignoramuseseseses, a mental crunching hiatus, no?

Back then it was plug-wiring electro-mechanical accounting machines to 1401s to System/360's in 7090 emulation if any of that means anything (NOTE: it doesn't, anymore) LOL.

IBM 1401 COMPUTER & DATA PROCESSING FOR THE ROPER CORPORATION 72392

Dating to the 1960s, this IBM produced film tells the story of the George D. Roper Corporation, a manufacturer of gas and electric stoves, and how its business was transformed by high tech data management. The film features IBM's Clyde Janson, who helped install IBM's 402 and 602 computers at Roper in 1958. Also shown are O56 Verifiers and O52 Keypunch, 557 interpreter, 519 reproducer, O83 and O84 sorter, and O88 Collator, and the processing system. The computer being used is the 1401, including a CPU, typewriter, printer, keypunch, and two 7330 Magnetic Tape Drives and a 1405 Ramack. 450 programs generate 1000 reports monthly covering order billing, sales analysis, payroll, etc.

The IBM 1401 was a variable wordlength decimal computer that was announced by IBM on October 5, 1959. The first member of the highly successful IBM 1400 series, it was aimed at replacing electromechanical unit record equipment for processing data stored on punched cards. Over 12,000 units were produced and many were leased or resold in less developed countries after they were replaced with newer technology. The 1401 was withdrawn on February 8, 1971.

Commonly used by small businesses as their primary data processing machines, the 1401 was also frequently used as an off-line peripheral controller for mainframe computers. In such installations, with an IBM 7090 for example, the mainframe computers used only magnetic tape for input-output. It was the 1401 that transferred input data from slow peripherals (such as the IBM 1402 Card Read-Punch) to tape, and transferred output data from tape to the card punch, the IBM 1403 Printer, or other peripherals. This allowed the mainframe's throughput to not be limited by the speed of a card reader or printer.

Elements within IBM, notably John Haanstra, an executive in charge of 1401 deployment, supported its continuation in larger models for evolving needs (e.g., the IBM 1410) but the 1964 decision at the top to focus resources on the System/360 ended these efforts rather suddenly. Then, faced with the competitive threat of the Honeywell 200 and the 360's incompatibility with the 1401 design, IBM pioneered the use of microcode emulation, in the form of ROM, so that some System/360 models could run 1401 programs.

During the 1970s, IBM installed many 1401s in India and Pakistan where they were in use well into the 1980s. Some of today's Indian and Pakistani software entrepreneurs started on these 1401s. The first computer in Pakistan, for example, was a 1401 installed at Pakistan International Airlines.

Two 1401 systems have been restored to operating order at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, complete with a raised floor typical of the mainframe era (and modern data centers), used to hide cabling and distribute cooled air.

Roper Industries' historical roots reach back to its founder, George D. Roper, and the company he started in 1919, the Geo. D. Roper Corporation. Founded in Rockford, Illinois, as a manufacturer of gas stoves and gear pumps, Geo. D. Roper Corp. became best known for its production stoves, developing into a flourishing concern that eventually manufactured electric and gas kitchen ranges, power gardening tools, and a host of other home-related goods. In 1957, Florence Stove sold its manufacturing facility in Florence, Massachusetts, and transferred production to Illinois, then purchased the inventories of finished products, receivables, and all capital stock of Geo. D. Roper Corp. The entire new operation took the name Geo. D. Roper Corp. in 1958.

Sears not only was Geo. D. Roper Corp.'s largest customer but also owned nearly half of the Illinois-based appliance manufacturer. This relationship between Sears and Geo D. Roper Corp. was strengthened when Geo D. Roper Corp. merged with a wholly owned Sears subsidiary, Newark Ohio Co., in 1964.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOe6MHYtc3g

Ken Ross and Paul Laughton demo the IBM 1401

Ken Ross and Paul Laughton demo the IBM 1401 at the Computer History Museum in Mt. View, California




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQueCt114Gk

A little bit of history

Old Whatshisname  Wrote: (07-20-2019 01:28 AM)

2newb4u  Wrote: (07-20-2019 01:26 AM)

Actually, I think right now, the main focus should be engineering and building long term self contained biospheres... here on earth. More than one. By self contained, I mean isolated from chemical and biological contaminants, and with the necessary equipment to survive/scrub noxious gasses like high concentrations of CO2 and NO2. By long term, I mean the planning/ability to last 10k years or more....

When I lived back in AZ, we were only about a hundred miles from the famous (or infamous) Biosphere 2. It had such great potential, and you're right; we should be putting more money into things like that.

Didn't one or two "participants" go kinda "nuts"

LoP Guest  Wrote: (07-20-2019 01:51 AM)

And you're still shilling horseshit, to this day.

Pointing out our flaws is not shilling horseshit.

There are secret flight programs the public isn't being told about but,
out in space there are satellites that can see everything everywhere. They can see the very makeup of everything that exists. There's nothing out there because everything that was alive is dead. No life anywhere just rock, stuff that will melt us and radiation that will cook us.

Life is boring in the temporal bubble.

engineering  Wrote: (07-20-2019 02:10 AM)

There are secret flight programs the public isn't being told about but,
out in space there are satellites that can see everything everywhere. They can see the very makeup of everything that exists. There's nothing out there because everything that was alive is dead. No life anywhere just rock, stuff that will melt us and radiation that will cook us.

Life is boring in the temporal bubble.

That is a feasible reality...like in the movie 'Contact'.

We are all in a temporal bubble and I'm not bored, why are you?

i noticed in an article the Saturn had the same memory in its computer as the video picture frames we have now days....
that's quite amazing...

PuddyCat  Wrote: (07-20-2019 01:42 AM)

Old Whatshisname  Wrote: (07-19-2019 11:41 PM)

Back then it was plug-wiring electro-mechanical accounting machines to 1401s to System/360's in 7090 emulation if any of that means anything (NOTE: it doesn't, anymore) LOL.

IBM 1401 COMPUTER & DATA PROCESSING FOR THE ROPER CORPORATION 72392

Dating to the 1960s, this IBM produced film tells the story of the George D. Roper Corporation, a manufacturer of gas and electric stoves, and how its business was transformed by high tech data management. The film features IBM's Clyde Janson, who helped install IBM's 402 and 602 computers at Roper in 1958. Also shown are O56 Verifiers and O52 Keypunch, 557 interpreter, 519 reproducer, O83 and O84 sorter, and O88 Collator, and the processing system. The computer being used is the 1401, including a CPU, typewriter, printer, keypunch, and two 7330 Magnetic Tape Drives and a 1405 Ramack. 450 programs generate 1000 reports monthly covering order billing, sales analysis, payroll, etc.

The IBM 1401 was a variable wordlength decimal computer that was announced by IBM on October 5, 1959. The first member of the highly successful IBM 1400 series, it was aimed at replacing electromechanical unit record equipment for processing data stored on punched cards. Over 12,000 units were produced and many were leased or resold in less developed countries after they were replaced with newer technology. The 1401 was withdrawn on February 8, 1971.

Commonly used by small businesses as their primary data processing machines, the 1401 was also frequently used as an off-line peripheral controller for mainframe computers. In such installations, with an IBM 7090 for example, the mainframe computers used only magnetic tape for input-output. It was the 1401 that transferred input data from slow peripherals (such as the IBM 1402 Card Read-Punch) to tape, and transferred output data from tape to the card punch, the IBM 1403 Printer, or other peripherals. This allowed the mainframe's throughput to not be limited by the speed of a card reader or printer.

Elements within IBM, notably John Haanstra, an executive in charge of 1401 deployment, supported its continuation in larger models for evolving needs (e.g., the IBM 1410) but the 1964 decision at the top to focus resources on the System/360 ended these efforts rather suddenly. Then, faced with the competitive threat of the Honeywell 200 and the 360's incompatibility with the 1401 design, IBM pioneered the use of microcode emulation, in the form of ROM, so that some System/360 models could run 1401 programs.

During the 1970s, IBM installed many 1401s in India and Pakistan where they were in use well into the 1980s. Some of today's Indian and Pakistani software entrepreneurs started on these 1401s. The first computer in Pakistan, for example, was a 1401 installed at Pakistan International Airlines.

Two 1401 systems have been restored to operating order at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, complete with a raised floor typical of the mainframe era (and modern data centers), used to hide cabling and distribute cooled air.

Roper Industries' historical roots reach back to its founder, George D. Roper, and the company he started in 1919, the Geo. D. Roper Corporation. Founded in Rockford, Illinois, as a manufacturer of gas stoves and gear pumps, Geo. D. Roper Corp. became best known for its production stoves, developing into a flourishing concern that eventually manufactured electric and gas kitchen ranges, power gardening tools, and a host of other home-related goods. In 1957, Florence Stove sold its manufacturing facility in Florence, Massachusetts, and transferred production to Illinois, then purchased the inventories of finished products, receivables, and all capital stock of Geo. D. Roper Corp. The entire new operation took the name Geo. D. Roper Corp. in 1958.

Sears not only was Geo. D. Roper Corp.'s largest customer but also owned nearly half of the Illinois-based appliance manufacturer. This relationship between Sears and Geo D. Roper Corp. was strengthened when Geo D. Roper Corp. merged with a wholly owned Sears subsidiary, Newark Ohio Co., in 1964.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOe6MHYtc3g

Ken Ross and Paul Laughton demo the IBM 1401

Ken Ross and Paul Laughton demo the IBM 1401 at the Computer History Museum in Mt. View, California




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQueCt114Gk

A little bit of history

Good job, thanks for posting that!

Red 1-2-3  Wrote: (07-20-2019 02:11 AM)

That is a feasible reality...like in the movie 'Contact'.

We are all in a temporal bubble and I'm not bored, why are you?

Who really knows.