AsApollo11'sLunarModuledescendedtowardthemoonunderautomaticcontrol,aprogramalarmintheguidancecomputer'ssoftwarenearlycausedamissionabort.NeilArmstrongrespondedbyswitchingofftheautomaticmodeandtakingdirectcontrol.Hestoppedmonitoringthecomputerandbeganflyingthespacecraft,relyingonskilltolanditandearningpraiseforatriumphofhumanovermachine.InDigitalApollo,engineer-historianDavidMindelltakesthisfamousmomentasastartingpointforanexplorationoftherelationshipbetweenhumansandcomputersintheApolloprogram.IneachofthesixApollolandings,theastronautincommandseizedcontrolfromthecomputerandlandedwithhishandonthestick.Mindellrecountsthestoryofastronauts'desiretocontroltheirspacecraftinparallelwiththehistoryoftheApolloGuidanceComputer.Fromtheearlydaysofaviationthroughthebirthofspaceflight,testpilotsandastronautssoughttobemorethaninacandespitetheautomaticcontrols,digitalcomputers,andsoftwaredevelopedbyengineers.DigitalApolloexaminesthedesignandexecutionofeachofthesixApollomoonlandings,drawingontranscriptsanddatatelemetryfromtheflights,astronautinterviews,andNASA'sextensivearchives.Mindell'sexplorationofhowhumanpilotsandautomatedsystemsworkedtogethertoachievetheultimateinflight--alunarlanding--tracesandreframesthedebateoverthefutureofhumansandautomationinspace.Theresultshaveimplicationsforanyventureinwhichhumanrolesseemthreatenedbyautomatedsystems,whetheritistheworkatourdesktopsorthefutureofexploration.DavidA.MindellisDibnerProfessoroftheHistoryofEngineeringandManufacturing,ProfessorofEngineeringSystems,andDirectorofthePrograminScience,Technology,andSocietyatMIT.HeistheauthorofBetweenHumanandMachine:Feedback,Control,andComputingbeforeCyberneticsandWar,Technology,andExperienceaboardtheUSSMonitor.