Bridging the Decades: Inside the "Recreate Apollo" Project and the Resurrection of the DSKY

In the pantheon of technological achievement, few artifacts hold the mythic status of the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC). It was the brain that guided humanity to the lunar surface, a marvel of mid-1960s engineering that performed tasks now taken for granted by billions of smartphones. Yet, for most, the AGC remains a relic of museum glass. Michael Newton, a Calgary-based avionics engineer, is changing that. Through his open-source initiative, Recreate Apollo, Newton is leveraging the power of the Raspberry Pi to bring this legendary hardware into the hands of modern makers.

The Genesis: A Digital Time Machine

The project is more than a 3D-printed replica; it is a functional, high-fidelity restoration of the Apollo 13 Command Module’s interface, centered on the iconic DSKY (Display and Keyboard). The DSKY was the primary conduit between the astronauts and the AGC, a ruggedized interface that allowed for everything from orbital navigation to emergency burns.

Michael Newton’s journey began during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with time and a growing fascination with aerospace history, he discovered that a dedicated community of engineers and enthusiasts had successfully liberated original MIT Instrumentation Lab documents. These archives, once buried under public record requests, had been digitized and preserved by the Virtual AGC group. Newton, drawing on his professional background in commercial aircraft avionics, saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between historical blueprints and modern additive manufacturing.

Chronology of a Restoration

The project did not materialize overnight. It required a methodical, three-phase approach that Newton meticulously documented to ensure that others could replicate his success.

Phase I: CAD and Additive Manufacturing

The foundation of the project relied on translating archival drawings into functional CAD files. While some open-source projects provided a starting point, Newton found that many existing files required significant refinement. "I found many in different GitHub repos," he notes, "but other parts needed some work to refine and some others still I had to model on my own." After weeks of iterative design, he arrived at a comprehensive set of .stp files that formed the skeleton of the DSKY.

Phase II: The Hardware Integration

With the shell printed and painted to achieve a 90% visual match to the original, the challenge shifted to the interior. Unlike the space-age components of 1966, Newton had to accommodate modern microcontrollers and a Raspberry Pi. He engineered custom clip-style holders for the screens and adapted mounting points to ensure the unit remained sturdy. The tactile experience was equally important; he opted for Kailh Box Navy mechanical switches to replicate the satisfying, heavy actuation force of the original Apollo hardware.

Phase III: The Software Emulation

The heart of the build is the Raspberry Pi running yaAGC, a robust emulation program that replicates the AGC at the architectural level. This isn’t just a simulation; it is a byte-for-byte recreation of the original computer’s logic, including its unique 15-bit data structure and the notoriously slow 1.024MHz clock speed.

Supporting Data: The Power of 1.024MHz

To understand the significance of Newton’s work, one must appreciate the constraints of the original AGC. Designed by the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory at MIT, it was the first computer to utilize silicon integrated circuits.

• Memory: Less than 100kB.
• Clock Speed: 1.024MHz.
• Logic: Entirely built upon the 3-input NOR gate.

The brilliance of the AGC lay in its reliability and its ability to handle asynchronous interrupts—the very feature that saved the Apollo 11 mission from failure when the computer was overwhelmed by radar data. By using a Raspberry Pi to emulate these exact constraints, Newton has created a system that behaves like the original. As he aptly puts it, "It emulates the real computer so well that, to me, VirtualAGC is not an emulator. It’s a real Apollo Guidance Computer that borrows your processor."

Official Perspectives: The Philosophy of Open Source

The Recreate Apollo project stands as a testament to the democratization of engineering history. By hosting a 100-page build guide on GitHub, Newton has ensured that the "how-to" of space exploration is accessible to anyone with a 3D printer and an interest in history.

Newton’s project has also caught the attention of the broader maker community. By integrating with Project Apollo – NASSP (an add-on for the PC simulator Orbiter), the DSKY can function as a "peripheral" device. A user can connect their 3D-printed DSKY to their home computer and experience the same cockpit workflow as the Apollo astronauts, complete with real-time feedback and navigation commands.

Implications for the Future of Aerospace Preservation

The implications of this project are twofold. First, it serves as a masterclass in digital archaeology. By forcing modern hardware to mimic the limitations of the past, makers are gaining a deeper understanding of why the AGC was designed the way it was. They are learning that the "ingenious design of magnetism" and the reliance on simple NOR gates were not limitations, but choices that prioritized stability in the vacuum of space.

Second, it raises the bar for documentation in the open-source world. Newton’s commitment to providing free, high-quality CAD models and schematics ensures that this specific piece of space history will never truly be lost. It encourages a new generation of engineers to look back at the "old ways" of computing and find inspiration in the efficiency of the 1960s.

Looking Forward: The Premium Iteration

Despite the success of his current build, Newton is not resting on his laurels. He is already conceptualizing a "premium" version of the DSKY. This iteration aims to move beyond 3D-printed plastic, incorporating an aluminum chassis, high-fidelity annunciators, and potentially a genuine electroluminescent display to replace the current screen setup.

This evolution of the project reflects the ethos of the entire Apollo program: a constant process of iterative improvement. Just as the engineers at MIT and NASA were never truly "done" with their designs, Newton views the Recreate Apollo project as a living document.

A Lesson in Ingenuity

As we look toward modern missions like Artemis, which utilize advanced digital avionics and AI-assisted navigation, the simplicity of the Apollo Guidance Computer stands as a sobering reminder of human capability. The ability to perform complex orbital rendezvous and lunar descents using a fraction of the power of a modern digital watch is a feat that continues to command respect.

Michael Newton’s Recreate Apollo project is more than just a hobbyist endeavor. It is a bridge across time. It reminds us that the pioneers of the 1960s were not working with magic; they were working with logic, physics, and an unwavering commitment to precision. By bringing this technology to our desktops, Newton is not only preserving a piece of history—he is keeping the spirit of exploration alive, one 3D-printed part at a time.

For those inspired by this build, the path is clear. The documentation is open, the community is active, and the history of space travel is waiting to be rebuilt. Whether you are a seasoned engineer or a curious beginner, the story of the AGC is a reminder that with enough dedication, even the most complex machines can be understood, recreated, and honored.

This article was featured in Issue 171 of the Raspberry Pi Official Magazine. For more information on DIY space projects, 3D printing, and the latest in single-board computing, you can access the full magazine online or subscribe to the print edition to receive a complimentary Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W.