Smithsonian Magazine

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Apollo Display Keyboard

The display keyboard (DSKY) built by Raytheon helped perfect a then revolutionary method to command spacecraft systems during Apollo missions. Using a table of 99 verbs and 99 nouns, each one assigned a numerical code, astronauts punched in commands for the onboard computer to execute. An S&T Geotronics kit (opendsky.com) provides all the pieces to replicate a working DSKY, which can be used to run your desktop music system or simple programs. Components are priced starting at $40, or the DSKY will arrive fully assembled for $900, or up to $8,000 for an aluminum version. An original prototype is displayed at the Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.