HP Forum Archive 18

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First HP in Space... 65 or 41C? Message #1 Posted by Ed Austin on 21 Oct 2008, 8:49 p.m. As far as I know it was the HP-65 in the Mid 70's, however HP literature mostly suggests it was the 41C on the Shuttle. Can anyone confirm it was indeed the 65?

Re: First HP in Space... 65 or 41C? Message #2 Posted by Arne Halvorsen (Norway) on 21 Oct 2008, 9:11 p.m., in response to message #1 by Ed Austin http://www.hpmuseum.org/adverts/sa65spc.htm

Re: First HP in Space... 65 or 41C? Message #3 Posted by Don Shepherd on 21 Oct 2008, 9:46 p.m., in response to message #1 by Ed Austin Yes, the HP-65 was carried aboard the Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission in July, 1975. I have contacted NASA to try to get program listings and descriptions, but no information has been forthcoming. If anyone has any such listings, I (and many others, I am sure) would like to see them.

HP-65? Really? Message #4 Posted by Dan Grelinger on 21 Oct 2008, 10:10 p.m., in response to message #1 by Ed Austin 'For the record, the first HP calculator to go into space was the HP-35. "For example, the HP-35, Hewlett-Packard's first scientific calculator, was standard equipment on three manned Skylab missions." (HP Digest Volume 8, Page 3)' http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/archv007.cgi?read=14383

Re: First HP in Space... 65 or 41C? Message #5 Posted by mike reed on 22 Oct 2008, 1:32 p.m., in response to message #1 by Ed Austin I could be wrong, but I think my 11c was the first, back in '69, after I dropped it and it quit working, while I was using it to stake an urgent large construction job! (wink, wink)

Re: First HP in Space... 65 or 41C? Message #6 Posted by Eric Smith on 22 Oct 2008, 8:16 p.m., in response to message #5 by mike reed Don't be ridiculous, they hadn't introduced the 11C in '69. You probably had the earlier 5C or 7C. Too bad you don't still have it, as either model fetches a lot on eBay, even non-working.

Re: First HP in Space... 65 or 41C? Message #7 Posted by Bill Triplett on 27 Oct 2008, 6:18 p.m., in response to message #5 by mike reed Now we know why the most recent calculators have rounded streamlined cases. It is so they will go further when tossed into space.

Re: First HP in Space... 65 or 41C? Message #8 Posted by Walter B on 27 Oct 2008, 7:07 p.m., in response to message #7 by Bill Triplett Exactly the same reason why the ISS has its streamlined shape. All these objects flow through the universal ether. Oh Michelson, oh Morley ... !

Re: First HP in Space... 65 or 41C? Message #9 Posted by Bill Triplett on 28 Oct 2008, 12:57 a.m., in response to message #8 by Walter B I was just thinking about air friction during launch. Technically, the first "calculator" carried along during a space mission might have been the Pickett N600-ES slide rule that was used onboard five of the Apollo missions. I am lucky enough to have one of these in my collection, along with the original box, manual, and packaging. It all looks factory new. I can do trig functions with it to reasonable accuracy, and in many cases more quickly than I can do the same operations with an electronic machine. The little thing has less mass than most calculators, being only six inches long, and it is made of 1/10 inch thick solid aluminum. It is difficult to burn this thing out with an unexpected burst of cosmic radiation while venturing outside the protection of atmosphere. We were required to demonstrate skill with these things when I was studying Aerospace Engineering. I have managed to collect almost everything that has been introduced between then and now. The old originals are still my favorite tools.

Re: First HP in Space... 65 or 41C? Message #10 Posted by Trent Moseley on 28 Oct 2008, 3:26 p.m., in response to message #9 by Bill Triplett On reading your post I immediately found mine, took it out of its slip case and looked at it lovingly, tm

Re: First HP in Space... 65 or 41C? Message #11 Posted by V-PN on 29 Oct 2008, 1:21 a.m., in response to message #10 by Trent Moseley mine is/was plastic. The last time I used it was spring 1977.

Re: First HP in Space... 65 or 41C? Message #12 Posted by Mike Reed on 29 Oct 2008, 3:46 p.m., in response to message #11 by V-PN Mine is and STILL is a LUTZ No. 252 double-sided, and it gets used a LOT! Face has K A CF CIF CI C D DI scales, reverse has DF B T1 T2 ST S D and L scales. Don't remember exactly when I got it, I think it was while I was still in high school (graduated in '66) and still use it frequently. It's a good friend and longtime companion. I have NEVER changed batteries in it, or had display or key-press trouble! It works, first time, all the time, every time! It, and an abacus, will do it all! LOL

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