On July 20, 1969, millions of people received an inspirational jolt from watching two brave astronauts take humankind's first steps on the moon. Rightly so, those astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, are now household names to many - however, their Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) remains the unsung hero that made their moon landing possible in the first place.
With processing power equivalent to a pair of Nintendo consoles, the AGC wasn’t flashy. But despite its technical limitations, the AGC functioned admirably as the interface for guidance, navigation, and control of the spacecraft to get humans to their first lunar destination.
If a pair of Nintendo consoles can get us to the moon, there’s no telling what the future may hold as computing power continues to grow.
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