The Apollo Missions

“... without high-speed computers and the programming systems that run them, manned space voyages would be quite impossible.”

“The success of Apollo 11 was certainly due in large measure to the sophistication of the programming systems and the computers—provided by IBM and others—that supported the mission.”

“I remember watching the landing on television 20 years ago with a co-worker and our wives. We were awestruck by the enormity of what we had worked on for so long—by the fact that all of us had helped make history. It was a feeling that just can’t be duplicated.”

“I can vividly recall the cold chills and goose bumps going up and down my backbone as it happened. It was as if here was something that we had anticipated and worked for, and never really known that we could do. And all of a sudden, for a decade of intense effort to culminate in this successful moment ... it was really fantastic. I think the IBM commitment to the space program—then and now—is part of an enduring legacy. Our efforts will never be forgotten.”

“There have never been more devoted people than those in the space program. When we started building the first IU over four years ago, we forgot all about the clock in order to meet schedules. You weren’t asked to work, you wanted to. Our people are as devoted as surgeons.”

“We have prepared ourselves for the impact of the landing on our society, but I think it will really take our culture a long time to fully absorb the real meaning for the excursion.”

“I’m still awed when I realize that my involvement and participation in such a large group effort helped get men to the moon.”

“The space program is more than just landing a man on the moon. We have far more to learn from it. I know when I was a child, the use of airplanes was not as commonplace as today. My teenage children have grown up in the era of space exploration, and I suppose when they are older and have children of their own there will be an entirely new concept. This is progress and I feel progress can’t be stopped.”

“The chances for success of this mission were infinitely greater than the missions of Columbus, de Soto or Vasco da Gama. They had no idea what lay ahead, while every phase of this mission was simulated and tested numerous times.”

“We’ve been earthbound too long.”

“After we committed ourselves to a Saturn computer for NASA’s 201 vehicle, we began to have second thoughts. Normal production time for an operational model was 12 months; but, at the time we said ‘yes’ to NASA’s question, ‘Can you build one?’ we were only six months from liftoff.”

“Knowing [the astronauts] brings the program close to home. We want to do our absolute best, not only because of who we are and the company we represent, but once you’re exposed to these guys, you have another incentive to do well for them and the cause they believe in.”

“These programs mean much to man’s progress. Space is on the cutting edge of technology. We cannot ignore it because ignoring space projects would be like denying progress. We can never stop learning, never stop accepting challenges. These are the hallmarks of a great nation.”

“Experience is always the best teacher, and we have built a fantastic ‘experience bank’ in the Apollo/Saturn program. These efforts have already begun and will continue to pay big dividends.”

“Every one of us can walk a little taller, a little prouder for having helped make the lunar landing a reality.”

“It’s been the finest program that I have been associated with in my 18 years with IBM.”

“Truly, it was a team effort. We had to learn new skills, find qualified personnel from all over the country, and mesh people, talent and time into a reliable product. It was done.”

“This has to be the most exciting moment of my career. I feel immensely proud—to be an American, to be a part of the space program and to be an IBMer.”

“Thanks to the dedication, the perseverance, and the vision of your organization, we have now carried mankind across the threshold of inter-planetary exploration—a first step to an exciting new era.”

“The systems information that we used to make the go, no-go decisions was developed by IBM, and the ultimate go, no-go decision [that day] was provided to me by computers operated by IBM engineers within Mission Control. Without IBM and the systems they provided, we would not have landed on the Moon.”

“The Apollo 12 mission was a very interesting one. It was the second mission to the Moon, and it was launched from Cape Canaveral during some cloudy weather. As the rocket ascended into space, off the ground, it had this enormous plume of flame coming out of the engines, which created a path of electrical conductivity—like a lightning rod. The rocket, therefore, conducted electricity and received a couple of very, very big lightning jolts, which knocked out, essentially, all the signals on the command module, everything either went blank or turned red, things were just completely shut down. But the guidance system in the instrument unit was designed to be rugged enough to handle situations like that. It kept working; they made it into orbit. Once they were in orbit, they were able to reset all the circuit breakers and realign the gyros onboard. They went to the Moon and had one of the most successful missions of the entire Apollo program.”

“The Saturn V instrument unit is one of the most amazing artifacts that we have in our collection.”

“You have this very complex choreography of burning, of staging, of gimballing—the swiveling of the engines to keep it balanced—the tilting in the right direction, all of that has to be done by the onboard computer and the guidance system, which in this case was contained in that instrument unit.”