Question 1

True or false: The Apollo Guidance Computer had no hard drive or disk drive for storage.

Accepted Answer

True. It used magnetic core memory for RAM and woven rope memory for permanent storage—no spinning disks or solid-state drives existed yet.

Question 2

True or false: Astronauts could type English commands directly into the Apollo Guidance Computer.

Accepted Answer

False. The AGC used a numeric keypad called the DSKY; astronauts entered two-digit codes (verbs and nouns), not English words, to operate it.

Question 3

True or false: The Apollo Guidance Computer could automatically land the lunar module without astronaut input.

Accepted Answer

False. The AGC provided guidance and navigation data, but astronauts manually piloted the final descent. Armstrong took over to avoid a boulder field during Apollo 11.

Question 4

True or false: The Apollo Guidance Computer’s software was written using a high-level programming language.

Accepted Answer

False. AGC software was written in assembly language, directly controlling hardware. The code was woven into rope memory, earning the nickname 'LOL memory' for the women who did it.

Question 5

True or false: The Apollo Guidance Computer had less processing power than a modern digital watch.

Accepted Answer

True. The AGC ran at 0.043 MHz with 2K of RAM, far weaker than even basic digital watches today, yet it safely guided astronauts to the Moon.

Question 6

True or false: During Apollo 11’s landing, the AGC nearly overloaded due to a radar error and triggered a 1202 alarm.

Accepted Answer

True. The rendezvous radar was left on, flooding the computer with data. The 1202 alarm meant it was rebooting tasks, but it kept landing safely thanks to priority scheduling.

Question 7

True or false: The Apollo Guidance Computer could run multiple software programs simultaneously.

Accepted Answer

False. The AGC had no multitasking OS; it ran one task at a time using a priority-based executive system, pausing low-priority jobs for critical ones.

Question 8

True or false: The Apollo Guidance Computer was the first computer to use silicon integrated circuits.

Accepted Answer

True. NASA’s need for small, reliable chips pushed MIT to adopt silicon ICs from Fairchild, making the AGC a pioneer in integrated circuit usage.

Apollo Guidance Computer Trivia Questions