Since this is the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, many shows have aired recently about various aspects of the Apollo space program. One of the most interesting parts is the computers that were used. In 1969 there were large business and scientific computers in use. But compact computer power was in its infancy so the systems were primitive compared to later years, let alone today’s technology. The Apollo system consisted of a home for the Astronauts - the Command Module / Lunar Lander and the lift system – a rocket. The Command Module computer was critical. It took the Lunar Lander to the moon’s surface. Less has been written about the Saturn V rocket that lifted the astronauts into space with the necessary power, speed and trajectory required for a successful flight to the moon. Many women and men spent countless hours doing the calculations, engineering and design work necessary to develop the technology. Like everything else involving a space craft, there are limits to the amount of work area and weight that can be dedicated to a function. So the challenges were great. Refrigerator sized computing power had to be shrunk to a minimum. New manufacturing techniques were developed. Everything required multiple levels of testing and re-testing. Starting over again and overcoming failures was frequent. Some processes had to be done by hand. For instance, the wires on the memory boards were tediously wound a single wrap at a time. The direction of the wrap would determine a “1” or “0” in computer terminology. Thus creating the bits and bytes that became programs. Programs that, in the case of the Saturn V, would guide the Command Module to the moon. And it all worked out. The technology brought to life by these pioneers contributed to steady improvements in computers. Bringing us to where we are today. When it comes to comparing older technology with today’s computerized devices there are common examples. For instance how a 1980’s PC stacks up against your smart phone in terms of available applications. Or how we have come to rely on today’s electronic maps to get us to our vacation destination. During the Apollo mission days it was engineers, scientists and calculators finding the way. Yes, great advancements have been made. But here’s another perspective. The 1969 computer that controlled the Saturn V - a 365 foot tall, 6.2 million pound, 3 stage rocket that was capable of escaping earth’s atmosphere and reaching speeds of 17,000 miles per hour - had 112kb of memory. That is equivalent to 5 scanned pages from a typical business document. Impressive to say the least. Do yourself a favor and take the time to read about the accomplishments by a dedicated group of individuals. May it remind us all that so much is truly possible.