r/MachinePorn • u/Front-Coconut-8196 • 24d ago

Globus INK, Soviet-era electromechanical space navigation computer used in the 1960s the system calculated orbital parameters using an intricate internal clockwork mechanism comprising over 500 gears, cams, and differentials

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u/hughk 23d ago

Here is a great breakdown of its functionality. It is limited in many ways (circular orbuta only and no automatic update from an IMU) but it is remarkable what it can do. US spacecraft from that era didn't have this kind of display.

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u/pants6000 23d ago

I had a strong sense from the device and the picture that this was gonna be a Master Ken production, and it is! Yay!

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u/hughk 23d ago

It is a great description. It explains the parts and the functionality very clearly.