Re: WIRE ... Part 3

From: Scott Dorsey (kludge_at_panix.com)
Date: 07/27/04 

Date: 27 Jul 2004 13:10:43 -0400

In article <fGuNc.43714$eH1.20405498@newssvr28.news.prodigy.com>,
Daniel <dkurtz@NOSPAMAmeritech.net> wrote:
>Ami Silberman wrote:
>> I've read (several sources) that Mission Control went to "battleshort"
>> during PDI, at least on Apollo 11.
>
>In the voice recordings (available at
>http://www.live365.com/stations/apollo_11_oda) the PAO announces that
>the computer network has essentially been battleshorted (or whatever you
>would call the equivelant) to prevent network and related system outages
>during the descent and landing.

This had to be done because the rendezvous radar coupling data unit was not
set in the correct mode. This was back in the days when computers were
not fast, and the sheer number of interrupts from the coupling data unit
was causing the executive to drop out of realtime and pitch overflow alarms,
with each interrupt eating a vast amount of CPU. After the landing it
became clear what had happened and the issue was resolved in future flights.
--scott 

-- 
"C'est un Nagra.  C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."