Is a best guestimate a cop out or did 3 digits and a slide rule get us to the moon?

Answer 1

There were indeed computers and they were used. But most of the engineering in the 1960s still was done using slide rules.
(I still have mine!)

Answer 2

Actually they used computers. Early ones that had less calculation ability than a modern hand held calculator. But still computers (they took up entire room to do just algebra.)

You might be able to find photos of these computers in the NASA museum; they used a punch card to give answers that had to be re-translated back into numbers. By the way when I say room sized I mean more like a gymnasium.

Answer 3

they used the area code, and followed the mail

Answer 4

GPS