Apollo Guidance Computer Part 15: Recovering lost Apollo software at the Computer History Museum

[@TheRealColBosch]

"So now I'm just going to step it a few times," Mike said as he accessed lost code in a priceless artifact that hasn't been used in half a century. You know, no big deal.

[@TheRealColBosch]

You were either going to copy an old program or summon Cthulhu, you realize. 50/50 chance of either.

[@heatshield]

What a moment. This just keeps getting better.

[@TheRealColBosch]

@@heatshield Jokes aside, I was on the edge of my seat.

[@TheRealColBosch]

Back to jokes: "In other words, they opened a priceless artifact to find the forgotten magic spell hidden within. The ages had not been kind and lore was obscured. Was it accident or sabotage? No matter, the wise wizards consulted their grimoires to complete the ritual. With this knowledge in hand, a small team of heroes could pierce the heavens to conquer other worlds."

[@garbleduser]

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Good thing they got Ponder Stibbons and not Rincewind...

[@rwdplz1]

This is the third project I've seen where the Computer History Museum was kind enough to let people come in and utilize their resources to help preserve computer history, so great they allow people to do so!

[@guycoder]

What would be very cool would be to have some of the simulation software you have built running the AGC code as an exhibit in the CHM so visitors can see a DSKY display running live Apollo code. There is something historic about being able to download the AGC code from the original rope memory and get it running again. A truly magnificent achievement and a great way to honor all the engineers and Apollo workers who made this happen 50+ years ago.

[@f16pilotjumper]

I'm sure CHM will greatly appreciate having a dump of their one of a kind core rope modules for posterity. A great collaboration!

[@paulabraham2550]

I do agree, and don't take this as a snipe at the CHM, but wouldn't it have been simpler and less risky to take the modules to the AGC and its test lab than the other way around?

[@toinoi123]

@@f16pilotjumper plus they isolated a few "bugs" in it (so to speak) :D

[@alexandracrawford800]

Where would we be without this spirit of generosity? My problem is that I forget who I've lent stuff to. The first office based database suddenly came to my rescue. Now I can automatically mail merge authentic corporate letters of intimidation regarding my 1969 (Apollo?) zippo lighter I lend to smokers whose own run out of fuel on dark withdrawing nights.

[@ShainAndrews]

Rumor has it the Computer History Museum locked the door on the display and updated the signage to reflect their newest exhibit. "Live Engineers" Please do not tap on the glass, nor bring obsolete technology into view.

[@CuriousMarc]

By the way, I suggested something not that far off. That they make a window in our restoration shop so that visitors can watch us work. Maybe with a sign that would have read "please do not feed the restorers".

[@rwdplz1]

@@CuriousMarc "Here we see the engineer in his natural habitat..."

[@Nighthawke70]

@@CuriousMarc I'd drop by with a huge pack of Twizzlers and sodas, teasing you guys without mercy. XD Then i'd feed you guys later on with brats and near beer.

[@mikestewart8928]

@@CuriousMarc Marc, your sign is wrong. You shouldn't have the word "not" on it.

[@laptop006]

@@CuriousMarc The Living Computer Museum in Seattle has something like that.

[@chriholt]

Just awesome! I live about 15 minutes from the CHM, and I'm ashamed of myself that I have never visited. That will change!

[@400_billion_suns]

Chris Holt It's definitely worth your visit. It has numerous artifacts from the early days of computing as well as the history of Silicon Valley.

[@mfkman]

same...

[@lmerry213]

I drove from Sacramento expressly to visit a couple of weeks ago, it didn't disappoint!

[@ml.2770]

SHAME! ;)

[@72polara]

I went for the first time several months ago. I was in the area from Napa on business. Only got to spend a couple hours, but plan to go back and spend an entire day when the 1401 is running.

[@RiccardoMacri]

Its a Great Day when "core dumped" doesn't mean your Unix program crashed. Inspiring work guys.

[@RonLaws]

Although the saying does come from the era of core memory and is an explicit reference to dumping core memory during an exception :D - so really the same thing! just manual instead of triggered by an error.

[@johnfrancisdoe1563]

Ron Laws Perl used to explicitly core dump to extract a binary containing both the just compiled program and the complete interpreter. But that's so modern. CP/M from the 1970s used to link programs by putting the program in memory then dumping it out to a .COM file with the command actually named SAVE. Same command also used to rescue the state of crashed programs before debugging with DDT.

[@donpdonp]

This is some Indiana Jones level computer archeology. The only known copy in existence is part of a static display in a public museum and you took it off the wall and read it. Unreal. Thank you for your efforts to date!

[@qrplife]

That’s some exciting digital archeology.

[@gbowne1]

sometimes to go forwards we have to go 50 or more years back.

[@Hal9526]

NASA code from 1965 come back to life. Goosebumps.

[@loligesgame]

just need to get those licenses :D

[@ReneSchickbauer]

@@loligesgame "Your Shareware licence has expired. Please contact Don Eyles at MIT for renewal"

[@loligesgame]

@@ReneSchickbauer Pay 300$ in BTC to the following adress AAEFRarDahERAGHDRgergERA

[@rztrzt]

I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.

[@ReneSchickbauer]

@@loligesgame Modern crypto and BTC mining on the AGC. I think even Ken might finally find his limits.

[@johnpickens448]

Mike is one steely eyed missile man! This series on the AGC just gets better and better! Are we planning to hook up the reproduction DSKY to the system soon?

[@rkan2]

What about the DSKY on display? Being quite a bit more simple, I think that will work almost literally from the get go!

[@randomunavailable]

You know, the whole team are steely eyed missile men and they sure did earn that title. I'm certain anyone still alive from the era would agree.

[@gertraba4484]

oh wow do the total geek out and power up the LM on display at the NASM in DC

[@GameTechRefuge]

Not going to lie, got a little emotional when you guys got the read. I know it's not perfect but that was awesome. Never mind preserving the AGC, I think we need an international treaty on Mike alone :) . He's a treasure. All you guys have worked so hard and I know that your every waking moment has been consumed by the project. Thank you for sharing the journey with troglobite's like me.Can't wait to see the fin.

[@markm0000]

He was working through it like a machine. No emotion just hard work and expecting success.

[@Jimfoxyboy]

Much thanks to the CHM people for letting you go in and recover the data before it was completely lost to history. And then to be able to fix the program thanks to those who had the forethought of parity bits.

[@Dust599]

Thank goodness for the parity!

[@mikestewart8928]

Seriously. It totally saved our butts!

[@chrissavage5966]

Nice to see Mike & Ken working together. I get the feeling Ken prefers not to be on camera, but we shouldn't underestimate his contribution to this I suspect. Thank you, Team AGC!

[@douro20]

Behind them is an Autonetics D-17B, the guidance computer from a Minuteman I missile. Several of those were sold to universities to be used as teaching aids.

[@Eo_Tunun]

We witness the dawning of software archaeology. Marvelous work, folks!

[@dproduzioni]

I'm a mathematician and I like technology and computers, but I'm not a hardcore nerd. I also like space and astronomy stuff but I don't practice any hobby or study related to it, really. I want to say that 99% of what hooked me on this series is these guys sincere passion. All of their efforts is truly inspiring. i think the government should have an office dedicated to finding guys like these in every field of science, and give them limitless resources.

[@MichaelLloyd]

I deal with bits, bytes, words, and floats at work (PLC programming). This is just amazing... I wonder when someone is going to claim this video never happened :o)

[@smgvbest]

Probably that one thumbs down was the first. how can anyone give this a thumbs down. this is awesome work

[@user2C47]

I would expect a Flat Earth believer to find this irrelevant. "It's just some old piece of junk computer."

[@MichaelLloyd]

@@user2C47 I was talking about the loons that say that we never landed on the moon.

[@user2C47]

@@MichaelLloyd Flat Earth believers likely believe the moon landing is fake, and it is an easier statistic to find.

[@MichaelLloyd]

@Jondahl Davis Uh... ’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. ?

[@alpcns]

This is getting better and better. Absolutely fantastic work! The entire crew of this channel should be receiving a medal from the President of the United States. I am not kidding. This is spectacular work of monumental importance! My hat off to all of you. Bravo!

[@yorgle]

I think I say this with every video in this series, but I get super excited to see each episode appear on youtube! :D I knew so little about the AGC/DSKY before this year, and I know so much about it now. Super awesome! At 6 minutes in, i was super tense about it all, and at 13:45 I almost cried i was so happy you all got it running! Excellent work to all of you! Thank you!

[@captainvice69]

I could not agree more - I was telling my friend about this series in the pub the other days and started explaining the amazing progress that had been made and he just looked at my blankly. I too know far more about the AGC than I could have imagined.

[@kuzadupa185]

"We can't hurt the modules but the modules CAN hurt us!" Thats some seriously strong machine spirit right there! Even after so many decades on dormant sleep!

[@nyge23]

amazing series. even if i wasn't an electronics engineer and a rocket nerd id still love it. its great to be both able to understand the entire computers systems simultaneously while also being massively impressed at what they managed to create 50 years ago. also, If SpaceX are willing to spare Mike for this, imagine how capable the employees are they they wont spare!

[@Albertkallal]

Radiers of the lost ark or computer. An astounding new form of an archeological dig not at some pyramid site, but some code that was the start of code that got us to the moon. 54 years ago that code was entered you just saved for all of history. With the internet people will be able to watch this video in 800 years now (every thing on internet will last forever). A fantastic data dump to preserve the first code in the first moon computer. In the future when digging up relics one will have to have computer skills to recover data from cameras or kindle software books. This is a new form of archilogical digging and study. What you just saved will be viewed 100's if not a 1000 years from now. This is not history in the making but history in the saving!

[@Joemama555]

I think Mike must understand as much about the AGC as a whole as any person ever alive, including the original designers and coders! Way to go!!!

[@rkan2]

Well, judging by the last video (replicating the bugs based on a gate-by-gate reconstruction of original design) , he very much does so...

[@Joemama555]

34C3 - The Ultimate Apollo Guidance Computer Talk kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqmafZmearh-i7M shows the instruction set

[@blackswan7292]

the durability of core memory.. wow, good job guys!

[@jeremyhall7259]

This is amazing! Kudos to everyone's hard work. It is amazing seeing a working AGC dumping old core rope! Great job!

[@needleonthevinyl]

A entire team of people just like Mike working together, with funding and resources, is exactly how we got to the Moon and back

[@EdwinSteiner]

This is one of the most satisfying video series I've ever seen. Thanks for doing all of this! Please also think about how to preserve Mike for future generations.

[@tonerotonero1375]

Awesome. So nice to see people taking good care of these precious relics. All it took 60 years ago to take humanity to another planet. Fabulous. I am drooling and I envy your skills repairing this marvel of technology. Keep going. Regards from France.

[@Regular6782]

Mike is just a badass. Id love to see some interviews with everyone.

[@Codeaholic1]

You ALL are super heroes. Seriously. This is amazing work.

[@72polara]

You guys do amazing work! There is so much combined knowledge at work here. The way that computer works, with Mike's monitor, is pretty neat replacing the bad parts of memory with what he corrected. I think this project is probably the most important and historically significant thing ever documented on KZbin.

[@jasonb4370]

Thank you so much guys for saving such an important part of History. The only way to understand the future, is to review the past. I would love working with older rope memory.

[@compwiz101]

I'm supposed to be asleep, but history waits for no man! Seriously though, watching how the team's hard work has come together to not only revive one of the most significant computer systems in history, but then use it to help archive data that would otherwise be lost is a wonderful journey of setback, learning, and overcoming obstacles. You should all be very proud of the work you're doing here.

[@mx0r]

OK guys, this is the best series ever produced on KZbin. So much knowledge, even some thrills and surprises. Has it all.

[@525Lines]

I'm glad somebody gets this stuff.

[@henrivanbemmel]

Just sayin' for this guy to recover this amazing piece of technology that the agency just dumped is truly remarkable. No million dollar resources just perseverance. So, what does it take for him to earn a Space Medal of Honour? I mean very soon all of this would have been completely lost. His work is amazing ... really.

[@CuriousMarc]

Thanks. I think he deserves one too!

[@VenturiLife]

Mike is amazing.. that is really impressive stuff, and the fact it still works..

[@cbmsysmobile]

So cool that the CHM are allowing you access to their artefacts to assist with the recovery of the AGC software and piecing together the computing history of the Apollo missions. So much of this data and equipment was lost because nobody thought it had any value once the Apollo missions were over.

[@JonTheBrush]

Every time I watch you guys, I am just so in awe of your engineering, just fabulous work! Thanks

[@jonathanhendry9759]

Mike is rather scary, and I mean that in a good way.

[@lmamakos]

It's really wonderful that this process has been captured in video form. The recovery effort is as interesting as the artifact itself. It will also be of considerable value to future historians.

[@hamishgrove7722]

Another great video about an amazing, historic computer. Thank you to all involved for putting these videos up for us to learn from

[@givemeakawasaki]

Thanks CHM for letting the guys do this. awesome!

[@a531016]

I love how these guys casually show up with an AGC in a suitcase! Fascinating series, can't wait to see more.

[@jackflash6377]

A big Thank You to the Museum !! Much respect to you guys. Simply amazing!!!!!

[@VladAndreis]

This series has been exciting beyond words for me! The development of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo utterly fascinates me and what you guys are doing to bring an AGC back to life is simply jaw-dropping. Keep up the amazing work and I cannot wait to see a full flight run on the AGC.

[@bluangl9wingman]

Congratulations gentlemen! You are doing amazing work. Can't wait to see where it goes from here. Thank you to everyone and their specific contributions to the project. Godspeed

[@Nighthawke70]

I know this is old, but did you guys reach out to the Mother of the AGC, Margaret Hamilton for her knowledge and maybe a copy of her source code?

[@RobotnikPlays]

Wow, great stuff! Once again your team's dedication is amazing. I hope you guys have a few more projects with Mike, you all work so well together. Anyway, great episode, Thanks to the CHM for letting you all tinker with their priceless artifacts, I can't think of a better group of people to do so.

[@katemoth5863]

I have barely any idea what technically is going on here, but I have to say this is really amazing viewing! Great work.

[@jake2213b]

About 20 years ago I had a coworker who like the space programs as much as I did. I said we would need to go to the moon again so that we could go to other place. He said we been their we need to go some place new. I said we have lost everything to build a space craft and fly it to the moon. Now you have prove my statement. Thank You

[@noth606]

This is awesome, I'm glad we have you guys to recover this kind of historical artifacts. A computer sitting in a museum is good but having the code and a way to run it is so much more, you can show it as it were. Thank you team AGC :-) you have the coolest nerd project on the planet!

[@MarkyShaw]

Such a pleasure to see the masters at work. Not only is the restoration of the machine itself quite a feat, but the software too!? My goodness. You guys are hardcore! Definitely reached a milestone in this video. Looking forward to seeing what's next.

[@crumplezone1]

Mike is 1 in a Billion ...literally ! you guys could rule the world easily :)

[@Graham-ce2yk]

My congratulations to the team for a brilliant piece of digital archaeology, I am hoping that the unravelling of the source code from the compiled software works out. If there are any other surviving examples of those fixed memory modules I hope that you can get access to them and that the contents are readable. Recovering as many of the evolutionary steps in the software that got humans to the Moon and back would greatly improve our appreciation and understanding of the achievement.

[@mikeissweet]

Congrats fellas! You guys know your stuff

[@jeffreyplum5259]

It is great to see a museum actually contribute to History, as well as display it. The AGC Team will have code to run on their AGC. I can see AGC and pure software AGC emulators doing wonderful things. Space camps could build and run actual CM and LEM code on their mockups. Perhaps even a classroom Command Module or LEM emulator in software. The AGC core would be based on the real unit with emulated inputs. Wonderful Work everyone!

[@alancordwell9759]

This just gets better and better!

[@mariodistefano2973]

You are doing a fantastic project, guys... I REALLY APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH...

[@pmcgee003]

CuriousMarc is the only channel that doesn't get relegated to 144p on my phone. :)

[@Diggnuts]

That is because, in true form, CuriousMarc properly polishes his bits and coats them in WD-40.

[@guywilkinson]

Oh my oh my! What a fabulous piece of work. The code is finally recovered. I love this series and wait with anticipation for the next installment!

[@k0ppit]

Just found this series, and have watched all the videos. Really exciting.

[@kevinreardon2558]

Wow. History in the making/remembering.

[@chrismumford9206]

One of my favorite episodes so far. Well done gents.

[@mjackstewart]

That young dude is crazy smart! How did he get so proficient with tech twice his age?

[@melanierhianna]

Extreme specialisation and starting early?

[@philippelewis3543]

Another historical “step” back in time, keep up the good work!

[@andrewrixon2347]

It. Use be breakfast time in the UK as Marc and the team ( featuring the Boy Wonder)!!, unleash the mysteries of the AGC. Outstanding work as always Gents. Big well done too to the CHM for they’re support. I’m sure that there was more than one nervous onlooker!

[@darrinpearce9780]

This project just blows me away, thanks again for the video.

[@hernancoronel]

I think I will be visiting the CHM in my upcoming visit to San Francisco! Awesome video, thank you guys!

[@justinove7521]

I have next to no idea what's going on but I'm super excited regardless

[@joeclarkey]

Thanks for the effort taken to share this, consistently the best channel on KZbin.

[@SomeGuyInSandy]

Yet another milestone! Awesome!

[@JamieWhitehorn]

Awesome work, ❤️ watching these videos!

[@richardmorton1310]

I'm from the troglodyte era (1977) of computers, and you guys are amazing.

[@lordsamich755]

8:00 You've really got it on the ropes there Mike. Bazinga

[@konsul2006]

Computer kid: Impresses dad Mike: hold my core rope memory

[@gbowne1]

Id really like to see what the Smithsonian ; ASM has in their collection. I know Fran got to see it. We got brief glimpses of it. I know they have stores of Block I and II modules but who knows what and where and whats on them. Perhaps theres some real gems there that will help. I also know theres some other AGC's and DSKY's that were used in various videos but I would think going forwards with this, it would be helpful to know whats where.. especially after it left NASA.

[@cpufreak101]

I do wonder, if they had more time on this if they could talk to some museums with Apollo AGC stuff and ask for data dumps with this video mentioned. could be a possibility, though I doubt the Smithsonian would allow it

[@SuperAWaC]

@@cpufreak101 if they have done it on other hardware there's no reason they couldn't do it on any hardware. you can't hurt the rope modules by reading them

[@skfalpink123]

Thanks again guys - another absolutely outstanding episode.

[@xtat]

Congrats team! This series was fantastic to follow.

[@richb313]

These guys are doing amazing work. Downloading and reconstructing the Retread 50 code is really detailed forensic reconstruction. The one sad note is how none of this code was preserved or even thought important enough to archive. After Apollo was scrapped NASA lost so many people the institutional memory was not even thought important enough to safe guard. Such short term thinking but what else can you expect from politicians and bureaucrats.

[@markm0000]

Well the computer was so incredibly old at that point and they already knew how the program worked--originals weren't necessary to keep around. By the time funding would have returned to NASA, technology would have advanced ten fold. It would have been easier to just upgrade everything than keep working on improving the AGC system.

[@IsaacWilee]

Yeah!

[@aternias]

digital archeology is my favorite thing to watch

[@gilbertcuoco]

You guys are truly amazing!!!!!!!

[@ScienceANDesign]

It would be possible in a near future to have this amazing software for public download? That would be awesome! I’ve programmed a couple of emulators for a 1974 computer myself, and now I’m thinking about building an AGC emulator from scratch just to run this code!! Congratulations guys, you rock..!

[@nicholasjulianriley]

It’s on GitHub already. github.com/virtualagc/virtualagc/tree/master/Retread50

[@mikestewart8928]

Yep, the disassembled code (and the corrected binary dumped in the video) are available here: github.com/virtualagc/virtualagc/tree/master/Retread50

[@garbleduser]

When you get all of the data, are you going to provide the museum a simulator as a WORKING display?

[@steve1978ger]

@ - oh. oh. They'll need some Germans with questionable political views. I'm available!

[@bmrm2004]

This is simply amazing.

[@MattTester]

Beautiful work from all of you

[@growingknowledge]

Very very cool - Well done all of you !

[@ErvinKrauss]

Such a fantastic series !!

[@MrJermbob]

@curiousmarc what pen is that used at 5mins 44seconds please ? looks lovely to use. love your work. good things take time :D

[@johnway8702]

Not sure, but if I had to guess: www.rotring.com/us/

[@Tycho343]

Pentel GraphGear 500 series

[@MrJermbob]

@@Tycho343 thanks heaps.

[@w9gb]

Tycho343 Pentel normally used barrel color to designated pencil lead size. Looked like a Black barrel, so 0.5mm Lead ? www.pentel.com/products/graph-gear-500-mechanical-drafting-pencil

[@userPrehistoricman]

You can link times like this 5:44

[@donaldparlettjr3295]

The ladies that wrapped those rope codes must be shaking their heads to see that 50+ years later it's still working. One word "incredible "

[@boosterpants388]

Absolutely love this project! Well done guys!

[@tekvax01]

How wonderful! You GUYS DID IT!!!

[@MDBenson]

This is awesome news. Congratulations!

[@mymessylab]

Simply awesome. Software recover and fix 😳😳. Thanks guys for the share of it

[@AsbestosMuffins]

quite amazing, reading programs from 50 years ago that nobody knows anything about

[@Nevexo287]

Amazing work as always guys!

[@juanjoalvarez3166]

Congratulations!!

[@smgvbest]

Amazing, This is more exicting that any TV or Movie, well, Gojira but that's a totally different class of entertainment :) I wish I knew as much about the AGC as these guys.

[@arado240dd]

Good if they made tiny replicas of the AGC, Alloy scaled down case, a PI or something , emulating it., and a small DSKY as well. need a venture.