Ready for Launch: The HP 41C in Space

In April 1981, the space shuttle Columbia launched with two HP 41C calculators aboard, which would assist the spacecraft for its return to earth. NASA subjected each device to rigorous testing, putting the calculators through shock, vibration and high temperature tests. Once approved, the HP 41Cs were outfitted with four Memory Modules, giving each calculator the capacity to store more than 2,000 program lines. This NASA technician demonstrated how the calculator could be stored in a special pouch of an astronaut’s flight suit during the mission.