The Atomic Human

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Digital Apollo: Human and Machine in Spaceflight

Author: David A. Mindell

Year: 2011

Summary

Machine Summary

Mindell examines the complex relationship between human and automated systems in the Apollo program, challenging simplistic narratives about the role of computers in spaceflight. The book details how engineers and astronauts negotiated the balance between human and machine control in one of humanity’s greatest technological achievements.

In The Atomic Human, this work is referenced in Chapter 7 during discussions of how NASA balanced automated systems with human judgment during the Apollo missions. The moon landing serves as a crucial example of successful human-machine collaboration, where automated systems augmented rather than replaced human decision-making.