In November of 2000, John Pultorak got to thinking about building a replica of a 60’s or 70’s era digital computer from scratch. By 2001, he started placing orders for technical documentation and had chosen his target machine, a Block I Apollo Guidance Computer.
Four years later, in September 2004, he had completed a fully functioning replica of the worlds first integrated circuit computer.
In the 1960’s, each Apollo moon mission had one AGC in the command module, and a second in the lunar module. These were used by astronauts to collect real-time flight information and control the spacecrafts’ navigation and guidance systems. Almost half a century later, John Pultorak has one in his basement, and thanks to his remarkable documentation and collection of reference materials, you can have one in your basement too!
Block I Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC):
How to build one in your basement
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