Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by a-wu on Monday July 15, 2019 @12:18PM (#20442265)

I recently started listening to a fantastic podcast called 13 Minutes To The Moon[0] produced by the BBC. It’s a retelling of the last 13 minutes until the Apollo 11 lander touched down. Episode 2 talked about the software and the 1202 program code. They interviewed the Guidance controller who was only 26 at the time and talked about how the average age of the flight controllers was 27. I thought that was incredible, you don’t see that much responsibility placed in such junior people anymore.

[0] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xttx2

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by BJBBB on Monday July 15, 2019 @12:35PM (#20442450)

The American and Canadian military are significant examples where many organizations are 'run' by people under 30. Yes, most field-grade and general officers, and senior NCOs are over 35. But, for example, the day-to-day decisions of logistics and tactics and technological is done by people between 19 and 27, by junior enlisted and company-grade officers.

I have never had as much responsibility an operational control over my job, in both fiscal and mission terms, as I had between the ages of 19 and 23 while in the military.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by ngcc_hk on Monday July 15, 2019 @12:40PM (#20442508)

Just a thought - is this the generation that never gave up in power and make decision so younger one never has a chance.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by cyanoacry on Monday July 15, 2019 @02:46PM (#20443842)

There are a couple of counter examples, particularly in New Space startups. At 26, I was a Mission Director (SpaceX's equivalent to a NASA Flight Director) for Dragon re-entry and landing.

As the old Apollo-generation engineers start to retire in the space industry, there _is_ fresh blood coming in, and even at larger companies, I've found young folks in top positions. It's just not widely advertised.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by bumby on Monday July 15, 2019 @12:55PM (#20442695)

I wonder how much of the low age is because it was a relatively new organization at the time. As a counter example, NASA's current average age is 50+ in many organizations.

It's a blessing and a curse. Aging organizations retain lots of organizational knowledge but also tend to exhibit a lot of stagnation/complacency.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by kahirsch on Monday July 15, 2019 @09:35PM (#20446821)

Yes, the podcast attributed it to NASA being a new organization and there being nobody with experience in most of the jobs. There were aircraft engineers and a small number of rocket engineers before, but NASA needed vast numbers of new employees and for jobs like mission control that just didn't exist before.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by zeristor on Wednesday July 17, 2019 @07:28AM (#20458289)

Some people were being hired withouth interviews it mentioned too it mentioned were there repercussions to this?

Quite a change from answering all these bloody mediaeval riddles

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by Angostura on Monday July 15, 2019 @12:28PM (#20442382)

It's a really good podcast, but I found it a bit bloated in places, I could have done without the Hans Zimmer theme, of which they are so inordinately proud.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by jonny_eh on Monday July 15, 2019 @04:24PM (#20444855)

> of which they are so inordinately proud

If you got a multi-Grammy winning composer to make your podcast theme you'd be extremely proud too.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by a-wu on Monday July 15, 2019 @12:36PM (#20442461)

That’s funny because I actually love the Hans Zimmer theme.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by dereknewsom on Monday July 15, 2019 @01:13PM (#20442922)

I really loved the Hans Zimmer music too. I got pumped up every time I heard it. I felt some bloat at times when they really dug into that 1202 error. It just kept coming up again and again.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by philjohn on Monday July 15, 2019 @04:23PM (#20444840)

Yes - it's bloated for a reason ... all of the things they've spent long episodes on are so you know what's going on when they do the realtime recordings of cap com.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software by benj111 on Monday July 15, 2019 @12:25PM (#20442323)

"you don’t see that much responsibility placed in such junior people anymore"

Sure you do, typically in new industries, like internet companies today, or space in the 60s.

Eventually the unicorns will be manned by aging suits, and JavaScript will be the new Cobol, and the hip young things will think vowels in names are actually kinda cool.

[ Parent | on HN ]