Could a 1980s home computer pilot a lunar lander?
Modern smartphones possess more power than 1990s supercomputers, but can vintage hardware handle spaceflight? Scott Manley tests whether his first computer, a ZX Spectrum, can control a lunar lander simulation.
The experiment explores the practical boundaries of retro computing. Using the Spectacular emulator to run a ZX Spectrum, Manley connects the machine to a Python program via kRPC. This setup allows the Spectrum to communicate with the simulation through the Interface 1 Serial Port.
While the hardware's performance is impressive, the project reveals that the true obstacles to spaceflight with such limited tech are not the CPU or memory capacity. Instead, the primary constraints are the limitations of I/O and the significant patience required to develop software for such an aging system.
Source: Can My First Computer Control A Spaceship?
