Orbital rendezvous simulation by analog computer

This video shows a (simplified) orbital rendezvous simulation performed on two coupled analog computers (a Telefunken RA 741 and a Dornier DO-80). The cross denotes the target while the small circle shows the space ship changing its orbit by pilot commands (the simulation runs at very high speed to show the overall effects of space dynamics). More information about this may be found at http://www.vaxman.de/analog_computing/rendezvous/rendezvous.html

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Rendezvousmanoever
• orbital
• rendezvous
• Analogrechner
• analog
• computer

[johneymute]

was software also annalogue???????

[vaxmande]

@johneymute Hi - an analog computer does not need software in the term we use today. The idea of an analog computer is to compute by evaluating an "analog", a model. So to solve a problem you setup your differential equations and then create a circuit corresponding to these equations. This is the "program" of the analog computer. The computer itself has no memory and no algorithmic program control. All the best - Bernd. :-)

[vaxmande]

@johneymute If you need more information, have a look at the online analog museum. The URL is three-ws, analogmuseum and then org (I hope the parser here lets me write it this way).

[Vyggy]

I assume that one computer draws the circle and the other the cross? And then something makes the circle in the middle.

[vaxmande]

Hi -

one of the two analog computers, the small Dornier DO-80, is responsible for drawing all three figures, ie. the earth, the target satellite and the steerable satellite. The larger analog computer, the Telefunken RA 741, is responsible for solving the differential equations describing the overall celestial mechanics. It computes the position of the satellites which are fed to the DO-80 (this computer also computes the distaince between the satellites). All the best - Bernd.

[Vyggy]

Thanks for the info.

[Vyggy]

I would like to have an analog computer... 5/5 vid, didn't know that they are capable of this!