Advanced Technology Airborne Computer

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/advanced-technology-airborne-computer

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the computer system designation?Advanced Technology Airborne Computer (ATAC)
2. What is the primary developer?Itek (a division of Litton Industries)
3. What is the Advanced Technology Airborne Computer (ATAC)?The ATAC is a digital computer built for US naval aircraft and later for NASA spacecraft. It was made to be very reliable and strong so it could work in tough flying conditions.
4. Why was the ATAC important for airplanes and spaceships?It gave planes and spacecraft a smart brain that could do fast calculations, guide them, and control important systems. This made flying safer and missions more powerful.

Avionics: The electronic systems used on aircraft, spacecraft, and satellites.
Bit-slice Microprocessor: A microprocessor designed to be used in combination to form a CPU of arbitrary word length.
HAL/S: A high-level programming language developed for NASA's Space Shuttle program, used for real-time control.
Microcode: A low-level layer of programming that translates machine instructions into operations for the processor.