Remembering Magnetic Memories and the Apollo AGC
7 hours ago
- #Apollo Guidance Computer
- #Magnetic Memory
- #Obsolete Technology
- NASA engineers in the 1960s decided to pair astronauts with digital systems for spacecraft control, emphasizing human oversight over digital execution.
- The Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) used magnetic memory technologies like core rope (ROM) and magnetic core memory (RAM), chosen for their density, reliability, and ability to withstand space conditions.
- Magnetic memories, such as TROS, core rope, magnetic core, magnetic tape, and bubble memory, were developed to meet demands for cost, speed, density, and reliability before semiconductors dominated.
- Each magnetic memory technology had unique trade-offs: core rope offered high density for space use but was hard to manufacture; magnetic core was erasable and reliable; magnetic tape allowed expandable storage; bubble memory provided high density with no moving parts.
- Today, spacecraft use radiation-hardened electronic memories (DRAM, SRAM, Flash), but evolving data needs (e.g., AI, cloud storage) may drive new memory technologies, highlighting the importance of preserving obsolete formats as cultural artefacts.