Programming for an Apple II for a mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.
At what rate does muscle dystrophy occur in a weightless environment?
Three key programming lessons I learned in a science experiment for the mission Space Shuttle Endeavour.
My software went into outer space. It was part of the experiment from Dr Reggie Edgerton’s physiology lab which was to be run on the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s mission in outer space.
While I was taking classes at UCLA. I signed up for a part-time job in the physiology lab. The project was simple: extract data from DAT tapes from previous Russian Space flights.
Once I was able to do that, Dr. Reggie Edgerton’s lab received approval for their experiment in outer space with the Space Shuttle Endeavour.
The application was written in Basic language on an Apple II. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s old school. It was even old school at the time. The reason that NASA approved of this computer is that it was reliable and had gone into outer space before. It took about 7 years to prepare for a mission and every piece of equipment was logged and measured.
Being a zealous science fiction enthusiast, I couldn’t believe ears.
“My program will be launched into outer space and used by astronauts!”
It felt like a part of my soul was about to be launched into outer space. I couldn’t hold back the excitement. The entire lab was giddy beyond belief.
Dr. Edgerton, Dr. John Hodgeson, Dr. Gordon Boorman, Carol a post-doctorate, and I comprised the team. They set up the experiment and would be the ones to interpret the data. They wanted to know how quickly muscles deteriorated in outer space. Many astronauts lose muscle so quickly that they can’t even sit up after a few weeks in outer space.
I didn’t know the Basic programming language much less anything about the Apple II. There were no YouTube channels to teach me, only these old faded manuals with brass paper fasteners. Luckily, I had taken an Assembly language class at UC San Diego.
The astronauts had precise, repetitive exercises to do in outer space every hour. (instructed by my program) Their muscle activity was measured in EEG’s through the computer which was recorded on DAT tapes (by the program).
When the astronauts returned, there was a second program that read the data from the tapes and wrote them to a file. It sounds simple these days, but it was not. Every programming line mattered because memory was precious as instructions were 16-bit integers and stored on floppy discs.
The program was menu-driven and dummy-proof. They didn’t want manuals floating around in outer space. I was terrified of failure. So, I invited anyone and everyone to willing try it out even though our lab was restricted.
We met and instructed over 20 potential astronauts. The list wasn’t finalized yet. Many were pilots and scientists from all over the world. They were sharp and physically fit and had a great sense of humor. It was a memory of a lifetime.
The Space Shuttle Endeavour program taught me 3 important lessons in programming that I’m forever grateful for.
- The customer interface must be simple.
- Time memory complexity is key to performance.
- A supportive, enthusiastic team helps me flourish as a developer.
The space Shuttle Endeavour is now decommissioned and sits at the California Space Museum in Los Angeles
Visiting the science museum. So we meet again. But it’s not the end of the story.
Last year in 2021, at a Star Trek convention in Las Vegas. I met one of Endeavour’s astronauts, Lieutenant Commander Mario Runco Jr.
We swapped stories. He had flown 3 missions. We were like two schoolboys as we shared our love of science and Star Trek. His spacewalk story sent gave me goosebumps. He also often dresses up as Spock for Halloween.
