Re-Testing an Apollo Guidance Computer Module that Failed Certification Testing
Mike Stewart acquired an Apollo-era rope driver module marked as scrapped and investigated its failure during certification testing. Using scanned acceptance documents, he performed conservative room‑temperature tests and identified a documentation error regarding pin numbering. The module appears to have been repaired and repurposed for engineering use rather than flight hardware, with only calibration issues noted.
- ▪The module, originally intended for the Apollo Guidance Computer, bore a ‘Scrapped Module’ stamp and showed signs of having been opened and possibly repaired.
- ▪Acceptance testing documents (B16‑B17) were located on the Internet Archive, but the original reasons for rejection were not recorded, prompting re‑testing.
- ▪During testing an error was found in the documentation where input pin 269 was incorrectly linked to output pin 169 instead of the correct pin 168.
- ▪Basic stationary, room‑temperature tests showed the module passed most checks, with the only issue being out‑of‑calibration channels.
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| Original publisher | Hackaday |
| Canonical URL | https://hackaday.com/2026/07/27/re-testing-an-apollo-guidance-computer-module-that-failed-certification-testing/ |
| Publication time | Mon, 27 Jul 2026 23:00:08 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-07-27T23:03:07.719Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Re-Testing An Apollo Guidance Computer Module That Failed Certification Testing No comments by: Maya Posch July 27, 2026 Title: Copy Short Link: Copy After getting his hands on a rope driver module from the Apollo project era that had a big ‘Scrapped Module’ stamped on it, [Mike Stewart] was naturally left curious as to what exactly had failed in this module. Originally destined for the Apollo Guidance Computer, these Raytheon-manufactured modules were the pinnacle of space-grade high-tech of the 1960s, with requisite acceptance testing so as to not endanger a very expensive space mission. The cool part here is that the acceptance documents for the module in question (B16-B17) have been scanned in and can be found on the Internet Archive.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Hackaday.
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