Information Automation and the Apollo Program: A Retrospective

The current information revolution and the growing pervasiveness of computers are raising anew fundamental questions about allocation of functions between humans and machines. Underlying the issues involved is the central fact, too often overlooked by system designers, that computers cannot take responsibility for what they do. A review of the problems and techniques associated with introducing computers into the prelaunch test and checkout activities of the Apollo Manned Lunar Landing program is presented.