Thread by @smartereveryday

I just released a video that I believe will be historically significant. Early one morning, before the U.S. Space and Rocket Center opened for guests, I met Mr. Luke Talley in the Saturn V Hall.

Luke Talley has had one of the most eventful lives from anyone I have ever met. When Luke was 3 years old his father was killed in WWII in the Pacific theater. The USS Mount Hood, an ammunition ship his father was on, Exploded in 1944.

At an early age, it became clear that Luke was proficient with electronics. Because of a newly enacted law, he was able to use his Father's G.I. Bill to study Electrical Engineering at the University of Alabama. Here's a photo of Luke and his fiancé, Kitty from his college days.

When he graduated from Bama in 1965, Luke Talley was hired by @IBM to work on what was called the "Instrument Unit". Basically, this was the brains of the Saturn V. It pointed the rocket.

The IU team had a daunting task: To make one of the most sophisticated computers ever assembled up to that point (the transistor was brand new). And they had to make it work in a stupid crazy vibration environment. Here are 4 IU's being built at @IBM Huntsville in the 60's.

At one point during our conversation, Luke pulled this little thing out of his pocket. He said he had made it in the 60's to show off his "Unit Logic Devices". He make it with epoxy of some sort.

We go into this little treasure in greater detail on the second channel video. Can you spot the two free-floating transistors?

They're here. Yeah, I recommend listening to him talk about this. This is back when they were figuring out ball grid array soldering techniques.

@SpaceCampUSA If you want to learn more about that computer (and I promise you do), Luke and I made a fun video with Linus @LinusTech about how that computer works. That's when I met Luke for the first time at @SpaceCampUSA.

(Sorry, I got excited and kind of stumbled into making a thread.) Here's a photo of some of the physical bits they used in "core memory". Little iron rings they magnetized memory. Look up. "The Computer that Controlled the Saturn V - Smarter Every Day" for more on that.
10/n

Anyways, back to the video I just put up. Luke helped solve a really interesting problem during the Apollo Program. I don't want to steal Luke's Thunder (Or literal "moonquake" as it turned out to be). If you want to hear that story straight from Luke it's on the Second Channel.

That's Luke on the left by the way.

NASA was so thankful for Luke's efforts, that they gave him an award and flew him and his wife Kitty to witness the launch of Apollo 13, in person. That award on the right is signed by Alan Shepard.

Anyways, I think you'll really enjoy the video. Luke explains the whole Saturn V to us, and it's INCREDIBLE. I've decided not to over sensationalize it and make a "YouTube" Video. I want this video stand the test of time, so I let him talk for as long as he wanted..And he's GOOD.

I have met many engineers. Luke Talley is so good it's intimidating. It's my honor to share these videos with you:

-Main Channel Video if you'd like to listen to Luke:

-Second channel video if you want to deep dive:

Thank you.