The MIT Instrumentation Laboratory (I-Lab) was a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology founded in 1932 by Charles Stark Draper. It developed the guidance and navigation systems for the Apollo program, including the Apollo Guidance Computer and its software. In 1970, it became the independent Charles Stark Draper Laboratory.
Origins and Inertial Navigation
Charles Stark Draper founded the lab to develop precision instruments and inertial navigation systems. Inertial navigation—determining position by measuring acceleration without external references—was crucial for submarines, aircraft, and eventually spacecraft[1].
By the 1950s, the lab was a world leader in navigation technology, developing systems for the Navy’s Polaris missile submarines.
Apollo Program
In 1961, NASA selected the Instrumentation Laboratory to develop the guidance, navigation, and control systems for the Apollo program. This became the largest single project the lab had ever undertaken.
The lab developed:
- Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC): One of the first integrated-circuit computers
- On-board flight software: Led by Margaret Hamilton
- Inertial Measurement Unit: Gyroscopes and accelerometers for navigation
- Optical systems: For spacecraft navigation using star sightings
Software Engineering Division
Margaret Hamilton directed the Software Engineering Division, leading hundreds of engineers who wrote the code that guided astronauts to the Moon. The team developed many foundational concepts in software engineering, including priority-based scheduling, asynchronous processing, and error recovery[2].
Spin-off as Draper Laboratory
During the Vietnam War era, anti-war protests targeted the lab’s defense work. In 1970, MIT divested the lab, which became the independent Charles Stark Draper Laboratory. Today Draper continues work in space systems, autonomous vehicles, and biomedical devices.
Sources
- Wikipedia. “Charles Stark Draper Laboratory.” History of the lab and its spin-off.
- Hack the Moon. “Margaret Hamilton.” Hamilton’s role at the Instrumentation Lab.