Google has gone all out to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. That's not surprising, considering the deals Google has swung with NASA for corporate jet parking at Moffett Field, next door to Google HQ. Google continues to find cool things to put on the Web that are related to the moon landing. First, a few years back, Google put the moon into its Maps site.

This year, it would seem they've gotten their hands on the code behind the Apollo 11's computer systems. It's been uploaded into Google Code, and it is an ongoing project, encompassing a few things. First, of course, you'll need an emulator for the Apollo Guidance Computer. Then you'll want the code, which is pointed to from this Google Blog Entry. Currently, they're working on the Command Module code (Comanche054) and Lunar Module code (Luminary099). Eventually they'll have syntax highlighting as well.

The fellows who built these systems were professionals, indeed. Only a few non-instructional comments are in this code. No infighting or "#<---kludge" type stuff here. Though at one point, there is a "# NUMERO MYSTERIOSO" that appears in the lunar lander code. At least someone on every team has a sense of humor.

I get a warm fuzzy when I think that their hard work is being remembered and preserved. Of course, I have a soft spot for digital archeology. It's a fascinating field.