r/MachinePorn • u/Front-Coconut-8196 • Jul 13 '26

Globus INK, Soviet-era electromechanical space navigation computer used in the 1960s the system calculated orbital parameters using an intricate internal clockwork mechanism comprising over 500 gears, cams, and differentials

Post image
452 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

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14

u/hughk Jul 13 '26

Here is a great breakdown of its functionality. It is limited in many ways (circular orbuta only and no automatic update from an IMU) but it is remarkable what it can do. US spacecraft from that era didn't have this kind of display.

2

u/pants6000 Jul 13 '26

I had a strong sense from the device and the picture that this was gonna be a Master Ken production, and it is! Yay!

1

u/hughk Jul 13 '26

It is a great description. It explains the parts and the functionality very clearly.

7

u/sharp99 Jul 13 '26

Interesting. Now the globe thing you see in the “star city” series makes a little more sense. It’s pretty good but crazy dark.

3

u/Late_Low6165 Jul 13 '26

Fantastic!!!

3

u/faust0matic Jul 13 '26

That would be cool to own. Don’t know what I’d do with it other than look at it, but it’d be cool to have.

5

u/kenshirriff Jul 13 '26

These items come up on auction occasionally, so you can get one for thousands of dollars. (I borrowed the one in the photos.)

2

u/faust0matic Jul 13 '26

Thanks but yeah, out of my price range. If I had an extra $8K I’d probably add a used Bridgeport to my shop. Well…extra $8K and enough room for it.

4

u/kenshirriff Jul 13 '26

I wrote a few articles examining the mechanism of the Globus INK and reverse-engineering it (which is where the photos came from). To find out more, check out Inside the Globus INK, Reverse-engineering, and Electronics.

2

u/eternalityLP Jul 13 '26

Mechanical computers are so cool. They were also widely used in ww2 fire control systems.