The Apollo 11 guidance computer code is now available on Github

The system responsible for the first moon landing is now readily available online, after an enterprising former NASA intern uploaded the Apollo Guidance Computer code to Github this week.

Although the code for the MIT-designed system has long been available to interested researchers, it's never been quite this at hand. Quartz has an excellent, thorough breakdown, but the jokes and asides are a special point of interest.

Reddit has already taken a look under the hood, and uncovered some of the best tidbits. For one, you'll find "BURN_BABY_BURN--MASTER_IGNITION_ROUTINE.agc" in there. In another spot, you can see a note about "TRASHY LITTLE SUBROUTINES."

One particularly poetic coder even included a bit of Shakespeare, although the reason for it is a little opaque now:

# THE FOLLOWING QUOTATION IS PROVIDED THROUGH THE COURTESY OF THE AUTHORS.

#

# "IT WILL BE PROVED TO THY FACE THAT THOU HAST MEN ABOUT THEE THAT

# USUALLY TALK OF A NOUN AND A VERB, AND SUCH ABOMINABLE WORDS AS NO

# CHRISTIAN EAR CAN ENDURE TO HEAR."

You can explore the code yourself here.

How NASA pulled off the Pluto flyby

• ViaQuartz
• SourceGitHub